WHAT’S ON IN MAY 2008
CHURCH SERVICES (Unless stated otherwise Services start at 10.30 am at the Hilltop Centre.)
Sunday 4th Our morning service today includes the opportunity to receive Holy Communion.
Sunday 11th Today is Pentecost Sunday when we celebrate what has become known as the birth of the Christian Church. The events we celebrate occurred soon after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. Jesus had promised that he would not leave his followers without a helper. On that day the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles empowering them with confidence to go out and tell the good news of the promised Saviour. This morning Neil Painter will lead the Service and Joe Brettle will be the speaker.
Sunday 11th This evening, at St John’s Church in Birchmoor, we will be recalling the events of the Holy Spirit’s visitation upon the apostles and his continuing impact today. The service starts at 6.30 pm
Sunday 18th Our monthly Parade Service for the Brigades is today. We invite parents and friends to come and support the youngsters.
Sunday 18th A valuable contribution to the life of the Fellowship is tonight’s Service for 18 to 25 year olds offering, as it does, a different take on worship through discussion and personal experience. The Service starts at 7 pm and lasts an hour.
Sunday 25th As we come to the first major holiday of the year we are planning a shorter, more relaxed Service this morning.
Don’t expect to enjoy the cream of life
if you keep the milk of kindness bottled up.
BRIGADE NEWS
Sticking with the theme of Sunday Services, let’s go back to last months Parade Service which was arranged and led by the Frog Team. Now this didn’t get any advance publicity because David had forgotten his agreement to let the Frog Team loose. So it came as quite a surprise to everyone when he announced that Sara, Kelly, Lauren and Bethanie would lead the service. It raised the question, “How are four eleven year olds going to be able to lead worship and hold together a Service lasting 90 minutes?” Well, no one needed to be concerned!
The youngsters were well prepared with songs, prayers, readings and two sketches. They confidently led the Service using the microphones so everyone could clearly hear them. Their only disappointment was not getting nationally recognised Christian song writer and children’s entertainer Doug Horley (Dougie Dug Dug) to come and speak - they had asked him at the previous evenings Praise Party. The youngsters were an inspiration to us all. They are looking forward to leading another Service in the future so David could soon be looking for another role!
Just to mention the Doug Horley Leaders Seminar and Children’s Praise Party held last month at St Georges Church in Glascote, the events certainly lived up to expectations. The Seminar introduced leaders to approaches in presenting devotions that Doug had found helpful together with particularly energetic action songs that nearly had them collapsed on the floor. At the Praise Party the youngsters thoroughly enjoyed the songs, stories and puppet show and demonstrated that, even if the leaders had struggled with the action songs, they could manage them. All together two very worth while events enjoyed by all.
The older members of the Brigades didn’t miss out last month either. Finally the Air Hockey table, promised for so long, has arrived and the lads spent a whole evening working through the flat pack instructions to assemble it. The table, together with the Nintendo Wii console, are very useful improvement to the games facilities we have available. Continuing the theme of trying to offer a range of additional activities the Brigade members, together with some diehard leaders and parents, went paint balling last month. They say they had a great time, yet have spent the days following comparing the size of various bruises they picked up! Ouch!
Coming up on Saturday 10th May is the BB Battalion Anchor Boy Fun Day at Walsall Wood Methodist Church. This is a time for games and other activities out on the park behind the Church, or inside if the weather is against us. Anchor Boys from across the Battalion take part, parents can come and support. The events start at 10 am and we should be away by around 12 noon. More details from Anchor Boy leader Mary Reed (893012).
Once again it’s time for X:site Birmingham, the bi-monthly event for 7 to 12 year olds arranged by Scripture Union working with various churches in Birmingham. If you enjoyed the Doug Horley Praise Party then this is something for you! You get the same mix of action songs, games, stories and activities with the added extra of puppeteer Andi Markham and his friend Jack. Parental consent forms, available from Christine Harris (893788), need to be completed for each child. X:site is on Saturday 10th May, it starts at 6 pm and lasts two hours. We usually take between six and eight youngsters. More details from Christine.
Later in the year both Brigades are hoping to arrange Narrow Boat Weekends - listen out for more information. Last year Andy and Matt attended a training weekend, this being a requirement of the hire arrangements. Over the weekend 10/11th May Claire Thompson and Nicola Bruton will be attending the same training to support the girls weekend.
Sticking with the holiday theme, Dan Webb will be attending training on running overnight indoor camps on Saturday 17th May.
Just to mention that there will be no Brigade activities during Spring Bank Holiday Week.
Looking further ahead, a couple of dates for your diary. The Brigade’s Annual Display and Presentation of Awards will take place on Friday 20 June commencing at 7 pm. This year it is hoped to shorten the programme and provide more of an informal atmosphere. More about this next month. And one for the Autumn! In October our Girls’ Brigade will be celebrating its 18th Birthday followed by our Boys’ Brigade in January 2009. A Birthday Celebration is being arranged for Saturday 15th November. It’s a long way off but you don’t want to miss it, so make a note of the date now.
FELLOWSHIP NEWS
We’ve had some really encouraging news from Ashit, the Bangladeshi boy we support each month through World Vision. Over last Christmas we raised funds for Ashit and was able to send a cheque to World Vision for £364.42, not a huge amount but we hoped it would help Ashit and his family following floods last autumn that had damaged their home and yard. Specific gifts like this are used by World Vision both for the benefit of the sponsored family and their local community, they split the gift one quarter to the family and the balance for use in the community. We were promised details of how the money would be used and this has now arrived.
The news is quite humbling! We gave at a time of celebration and excess with little thought to the impact, just hoping it may help. For Ashit and his family it has meant they have been able to purchase the most basic of materials to repair their home. They bought eight sheets of corrugated steel sheeting, eight concrete posts and a quantity of timber. The letter from Ashit, who is 10 years old, expresses the family’s thanks and tells a little more about his family - three photo’s are included.
The balance of the gift went to help a family in Ashit’s community. This is the letter from the head of the family: “Dear Sponsor. Just convey my love and regards. Hope you are doing well with your family. By the donation from you World Vision has arranged my only son Ratul’s treatment, who is suffering from blood cancer. By now he is improving and in future with your donation I could do more treatment for him. For your great donation me and my family are obliged and grateful to you and World Vision. Just pray for my only son that he might be cured. Me and my whole family will pray for you. If possible please come to our country for visit. Thanking you. Patit Paban Halden (Ratul’s fathers)”. Ratul is five years old.
Last months Coffee and Craft morning at St John’s Church in Birchmoor went well. We enjoyed the demonstration of how to make bath bombs and some had the opportunity to try their hand at making them. Rosemarie (the demonstrator) also brought birthday cards and gift boxes she had made, these were beautifully crafted and drew quite a lot of interest.
We had run the morning to see what interest there is for a regular monthly craft activity, the feeling from those who came was that it is worth pursuing. There had also been support from others who could not make Wednesday mornings. So with a good start behind us this month we will be meeting on Tuesday 13 May at 10.30 am when the craft activity will be deco patch - a simple but attractive activity all can try. Everyone is welcome. Last time we had good support from the guys as well as the gals!
Last months appeal for bibles that are no longer needed produced quite a selection of styles, these will be taken to the Wesley Owen Bookshop in Birmingham. Wesley Owen is co-ordinating the collection and shipment of the bibles to India. Thank you for your support. There’s still time to donate more bibles at any Brigade evening or Church Service up to 18th May.
POLESWORTH PIONEERS
During April practices have continued successfully at Dordon Combined School with the facilities allowing the Band to make far more progress in the time available than was possible at the previous venue. The Band Staff are now just waiting to hear if the arrangement can be put on a permanent basis.
Last month Band Staff visited one of the bands they will be competing against in the league the Band has recently joined. The reports coming back are that the Pioneers will not be out of their depth in the new league however they will be the Band with the youngest average age by some way. Also, they have some catching up to do on this years programme before the first competition on Saturday
12th July.
The Band has one engagement in May, it’s on the Saturday 17th at the Mile Oak (Tamworth) Fun Run for Age Concern. Hopefully the Band is only playing to the crowds and hasn’t been entered as a novelty item in the fun run!
AND FINALLY
Once again, lots going on - I look forward to seeing you at some of the events and Services in May.
David
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