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THE
HADLEIGH MESSENGER
March 2015
The Magazine of the
United Reformed Church, Hadleigh, Essex
SUNDAY SERVICES
at 10.30am & 6.30pm
with Holy Communion on 1st Sunday evening
and on 3rd Sunday morning of each month
Monthly Midweek Service
at 10.30am on 4th Thursday of each month
PULPIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR MARCH 2015
Sun 1st Mar
Sun 8th Mar
10.30am Morning Service
6.30pm Evening Service *
10.30am Morning Service
6.30pm Evening Service
Sun 15th Mar
10.30am Morning Service *
6.30pm Evening Service
Sun 22nd Mar
10.30am Morning Service
6.30pm Evening Service
Sun 29th Mar
10.30am Morning Service
6.30pm Evening Service
Rev. Jack Roche MA
Mrs Heather Brown
Rev. Tony Windsor
Rev. Eric Fenwick
Rev. Jack Roche MA
Mrs Kathy McCullough
Rev. John Ambrose
Mr Doug Thomas
Col. Hubert Boardman
Rev. Marion Sturrock
You are invited to stay for fellowship and refreshments after both morning and evening services
DUTY ELDERS & STEWARDS FOR MARCH 2015
MORNING
ELDER
STEWARD
Sun 1 Mar Malcolm Brown
Ann Purkiss
Sun 8th Mar Jean Reeve
Colin George
st
Sun 15th Mar Heather Brown *
Malcolm Brown
Sun 22nd Mar Malcolm Brown
Marion Fidell
Sun 29th Mar Jean Reeve
Janet Wimbledon
EVENING
ELDER
Royston Brackin *
STEWARD
Vera Knapton
Elders & Stewards: If any date is inconvenient then please re-arrange and advise the Secretary
FLOWER ROTA
Sun 1st Mar Jean Reeve -
in memory of her mother’s
birthday
Sun 8th Mar
MORNING COFFEE ROTA
Sun 1st Mar Jean Reeve
Sun 8th Mar Kay Watson
Sun 15th Mar Jean Reeve - for Mother’s Day
Sun 15th Mar Marion Fidell
Sun 22nd Mar Elsie Forster
Sun 22nd Mar Marion Fidell
Sun 29th Mar
Sun 29th Mar Janet Wimbledon
MONTHLY MIDWEEK SERVICE
Thu 26th Mar 10.30am – Mr Jim Clubb
ELDERS’ MEETING
Wed 11th Mar 7.30pm
CHURCH AGM
Wed 18th Mar 7.30pm
From the Minister
But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement
of our peace was upon Him; and with his stripes (wounds) we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)
Dear friends,
It has been said that a week is a long time in
politics; in today’s media world it’s more like a
day! So, by that reckoning, the story that was
attracting some attention when I began this letter
– Stephen Fry’s comments about God and the
reality of undeserved suffering – is very old
news. If it touched a raw nerve then it’s because
people of faith always have and probably always
will struggle with the same problem, that of
suffering and evil.
I have shared this planet with Stephen Fry for
some time now and I have come to identify him
with intelligence, integrity and honesty, so I feel
sure that his widely quoted words were
essentially honest, intelligent and well-informed.
If anything, it was the question to which he was
responding that seems provocative and illintentioned.
Since Stephen Fry also has a solid grounding in
the Humanities I’m sure that he would have
known that the question was first posed by the
Greek philosopher, Epicurus, 300 years before
Christ, in the form of a paradox: If God is all
powerful He could prevent evil – so, since he
chooses not to prevent it, He can’t be perfectly
good!
Suppose we qualify God’s Power by assuming
that he is only powerful in the way that Love is
powerful. So our free will cannot possibly be
overruled by coercion, force or retribution and
the choice of humans to do evil can only be
countered by the will of others to oppose it.
If the alternative is a cruelty or, at best,
indifference I would prefer a God whose power is
limited by His nature, which is Love; who can
only love, suffer, understand and comfort us;
stand and struggle with us in the pain that we
inflict on each other or have to endure from
existing in a universe such as this.
The Creation story offers the possibility of a safe,
perfect paradise where nothing would ever
destroy our peace and we would have all we
needed without any effort or trouble but where
‘good’ would have no meaning because we
would not have the freedom to choose evil. It
goes on to suggest that, instead, we chose the
world that we have, including that freedom, for
better or worse.
The philosopher and theologian, John Hick,
observes in his work ‘Evil and the God of Love’
that almost all human suffering can be directly or
indirectly attributed to human agency. For
example, tree felling in Bhutan and Nepal has
been linked to soil erosion that causes regular,
catastrophic flooding in Bangladesh or, our
current concerns about the possible
environmental effects of ‘fracking’
There remains the irreducible core that was the
subject of Stephen Fry’s response: natural
disaster, earthquake, volcano, tsunami, disease
and defections, particularly in the newborn who
could not possibly have brought it on themselves.
Maybe, in this case, we need a Creator to take the
blame because, otherwise, we would just be
raging against the way the world is, which seems
a bit pointless. Or, maybe, it’s anger at people
who insist on believing in God in spite of it!
It’s more to the point to use our God-given
energy, expertise and compassion to do
something about it; To go and care for Ebola
victims rather than sitting at home and getting
angry with God on their behalf!
Someone has described ‘the problem of evil’ in
terms of the description of Russia attributed to
Winston Churchill – A riddle, wrapped in a
mystery, inside an enigma. This could also be
well applied to the central element of the
Christian Faith, Good Friday and Easter: the
suffering, death and Resurrection of Christ. But,
for all that, we believe that it offers both an
explanation and, ultimately, its solution,
sometimes requiring Christians to participate in
His suffering.
Joel Edwards, formerly General Director of the
Evangelical Alliance, once observed that, in a
world where Christians have to endure injustice,
persecution, even death the worst we have to fear
is a bad write up in the Guardian!
But let’s not look for enemies where there are
none. Where was the fairest and most accurate
press coverage of the more recent controversy
about Anglican Bishops ‘being political’? – in
The Guardian!
Your friend and Minister,
Jack
Welcome to the March 2015
edition of the Hadleigh
Messenger.
The weather is warming up, plants are awakening
from their winter slumber and the grass-mowing
season will shortly commence. It is a long time
since we had a regular gardening spot in the
magazine (well before my editorship began) but
if anyone would like to make the odd
contribution on matters botanical or horticultural
then it would be gratefully received.
This year, Easter falls at an awkward point in
relation to the magazine production cycle so I
have included details of Holy Week events in this
edition just in case!
Talking about future events, you might like to
make a note that our 111th Anniversary will be
celebrated on Sunday 17th May and our Harvest
Supper will take place on Saturday 26th
September.
Malcolm Brown.
Mother’s maintenance manual
Engine: A mother's engine is one of the most dependable kinds you can find. She can reach top
speed from a prone position at a single cry from a sleeping child. But regular breaks are needed to
keep up that peak performance. Mothers need a hot bath and a nap every 100 miles, a baby-sitter
and a night out every 1,000 miles, and a live-in nanny with a one-week holiday every 10,000 miles.
Battery: Mother's batteries should be recharged regularly. Handmade items, notes, unexpected
hugs and kisses, and frequent confessions of "I love you" will do very well for a recharge.
Carburettor: When a mother's carburettor floods it should be treated immediately with a Kleenex
and a soft shoulder.
Brakes: See that she uses her brakes to slow down often and come to a full stop occasionally.
Fuel: Most mothers can run indefinitely on coffee, leftovers and salads, but an occasional dinner
for two at a nice restaurant will add greatly to her efficiency.
Chassis: Mothers work best when their bodies are properly maintained. Regular exercise should be
encouraged and provided for as necessary. An occasional change in hairdo or makeup is also
beneficial.
Tune-ups: Mothers need regular tune-ups. Compliments are both the cheapest and most effective
way to keep a mother purring contentedly.
If these instructions are followed consistently, this gift from God, that we call Mother should last
a lifetime and give good service and constant love to those who need her most.
The deadline for receipt of items for inclusion in the April 2015 magazine is:
Sunday 21st March 2015
Items received after that date will be included only at the Editor’s discretion but
every effort will be made to include items of news. Contributions in Microsoft Word
format can be e-mailed to mgbrownmail@yahoo.co.uk.
Wives’ Fellowship
Programme for March 2015
Date
Time
Meeting
Tue 10th Mar
2.30pm
Talk on “My Homes throughout My Life with
the Salvation Army”
by Col. Jane Boardman
Tue 24th Mar
2.30pm
Easter Meditation & Communion
led by Rev. Jack Roche MA
Meetings are held in the Small Hall with refreshments served at the end.
Entrance £2.00 – first time free
Small coins collected for Rayleigh, Rochford & Castle Point
Talking Newspapers for the Blind
Brief report from the AGM held on 24th February
Officers unchanged. Accounts approved. Subscriptions unchanged.
Small coins will continue to be collected for the RRCPTN. Jean Reeve
(Treasurer) will administer the small coins taking over from Sylvia Patten.
Holy Week & Easter services
Thu 2nd April (Maundy Thursday)
Our minister will once again lead us in a Passover Communion to which friends from Hadleigh
Methodist Church are invited. We will share the elements of the Passover meal and learn something
of the teaching that lay behind it before sharing in the bread and wine that represents the sacrifice of
Good Friday. The service will start at 7.30pm and all are welcome. It would be helpful if you could
let Heather Brown or Jean Reeve know if you intend to come. After the service, the church furniture
will be arranged ready for the serving of refreshments after Good Friday’s Walk of Witness.
Fri 3rd April (Good Friday)
The traditional Churches Together in Hadleigh United Service will be held at Hadleigh Methodist
Church starting at 10.15am and will be led by Rev. Bryan Tolhurst, Minister at the Methodist
Church. This will be one of the last opportunities to hear Bryan before he retires later in the year.
At 11.00am, there will be a silent Walk of Witness to our church where refreshments, including hot
cross buns, will be served. It is not currently known whether police or other marshals will be
available for the Walk. In their absence, the Walk will be take place on the footpath and not on the
highway and it is possible that London Road will be crossed using the normal phases of the Pelican
crossing. If this is the case then it may take some time for the Walk to assemble on the opposite
footpath.
If you are able to help with the preparation of the hot cross buns, please speak to Heather or Jean.
Volunteers will also be needed to serve refreshments.
Sun 5th April (Easter Day)
The traditional Sunrise Service will take place at Hadleigh Castle starting at 6.15am. Major David
Woodman from the SA Hadleigh Temple will lead the service and musicians from the Temple Band
will provide music to accompany the hymn singing.
Malcolm Brown
WHAT’S ON
A round-up of future events in the area
Tue 10 Mar 2015 – Coffee Morning & Book Sale at St Peter’s Church Hall, Church Road,
Thundersley. From 10.30am to 12.30pm
Wed 11 Mar 2015 – Coffee Morning with home-made cakes at St Michael’s Church, St
Michael’s Road, Daws Heath. From 10.00am to 11.45am.
Thu 12 Mar 2015 – Hadleigh Neighbourhood Police Local Community Meeting – a chance to
local crime and Anti-Social Behaviour figures and ask questions. At
Council Offices, Kiln Road, Thundersley. From 7.00pm to 8.00pm.
Sat 14 Mar 2015 – Coffee Morning at Hadleigh Methodist Church. 10.00am to 12 noon.
ditto – Local Councillors’ Surgery at Hadleigh Old Fire Station from 10.00am
to 12 noon. Tea and biscuit available.
ditto – Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive Drop-In at Hadleigh
Library from 10.30am to 12 noon. Bring along old photos and
documents for scanning, chat about your memories of the area or just
view the archive website with lots of interesting articles.
ditto – Mayor’s Charity Concert – Last Night Of The Proms at SA Hadleigh
Temple. Doors open 6.30pm for 7.00pm start. Tickets £8.00 – to book,
phone 01268 882334 or Hadleigh Temple direct on 01702 558913.
ditto – Friends Of Hadleigh Church Concert – ”Step Into Spring” With Trillogy.
At St James the Less Church. Starts at 7.30pm. Tickets at the door
£9.00, includes buffet. For more information, phone 01268 757370.
ditto – Jazz At St Barnabas with The Variety Jazz Band. A varied programme –
enjoyable and easy listening. Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start.
Tickets at the door £10.00.
Sun 15 Mar 2015 – Hadleigh Country Park Roundhouse Open Afternoon. Warm yourself by
the fire and learn how our ancestors lived 2000 years ago. Meet at
Chapel Lane car park. Drop-in between 1.00pm and 3.00pm. Free.
Thu 19 Mar 2015 – Hadleigh Gardening Association Talk ”The History Of Southend High
Street” by Bob Delgarno at Hadleigh Old Fire Station. Meet from
7.30pm for 8.00pm start. Members £1.50, Non-members £2.00.
Sat 21 Mar 2015 – Coffee Morning at St James the Less Church from 10.30am to 12 noon.
ditto – Quiz Night at Hadleigh Methodist Church. Doors open 7.00pm for
7.30pm start. Tickets £4.00 from Kelly on 07746 413410. BYO nibbles
and soft drinks.
Wed 25 Mar 2015 – Julian Meeting at St James the Less Church from 6.30pm to 7.10pm.
An ecumenical meeting for silent prayer with words and music.
ditto – Hadleigh Country Park Astronomy Open Evening from 7.00pm to
9.00pm. Meet at Chapel Lane car park. (Parking £2.30.) Free event. Hot
drinks for sale. NB: Will run only if skies are clear
Mon 30 Mar 2015 – Community Agents Essex Drop-In Session at Hadleigh Library from
10.30am to 12.30pm offering help to older people and informal carers
in finding independent living solutions from within the community.
More events listed on the HELIX website at http://www.hadleighessex.info.
URC launches a creative new mission model - CreateTalk
CreateTalk, a new model of mission initiated by
the mission department of the United Reformed
Church, was officially launched in the last week
of February at Carrs Lane Church, Birmingham.
The CreateTalk mission model aims to connect
communities with God through the creative arts –
by enabling churches to discover creativity in
their congregations and in their communities
whilst encouraging new participation in church
and enabling relationships to grow.
The Rev. Elizabeth Gray-King, coordinator of
CreateTalk, URC minister and working artist,
said: “It is not always easy for people to talk
about God and faith, or even talk honestly about
themselves. The creative arts – painting, pictures,
photos, or drama – may allow conversations to
begin more easily and be a springboard for
connection with our deepest selves. We have
found that when conversations take place around
the creative arts, people start to talk about their
own stories and journeys.”
Guests at the CreateTalk launch event were
invited to take part in a Lent-focussed task,
making paint from ash, oil, and purple powder,
and using the paint to create a bookmark to carry
with them during Lent. The painted bookmarks
became a reminder of the ash of repentance,
mixed with oil for burial, and blended with the
Lent colour purple of power; the bookmark a
daily reminder of deeds laid to rest and ready for
Easter’s new life.
The Rev. David Grosch-Miller, moderator of the
General Assembly of the URC, attended the
launch, and he said: “CreateTalk provides great
opportunities for churches to engage with their
local communities, properly listening to what
people are saying, building relationships and
sharing the good news of the Christ – and
anything that does that is to be welcomed!”
You can find out more about CreateTalk and
discover the diverse ways in which churches
have already began to work with this exciting
new model of mission by visiting the URC
website at:
http://urc.org.uk/mission/mission-developmentand-evangelism/createtalk.html.
More about CreateTalk
Supported by the United Reformed Church Mission Department, CreateTalk is an initiative to facilitate
church projects and activities with the use of creative arts. CreateTalk helps churches…
• discover creativity in their own congregations, encouraging new kinds of participation
• discover creativity in their communities, allowing new relationships
• find new ways of sharing faith in a variety of settings
For a CreateTalk project in your church or community, contact Tracey Hardingham (PA to Secretary for
Mission, PA to Secretary for Racial Justice and Intercultural Ministry). CreateTalk resources can be
found at http://moodle.urc.org.uk/course/index.php?categoryid=20.
Why focus on creativity?
We live in a word filled world and have a legacy of a word filled church. Frequently when we plan out
active evangelism, we most often arrange activities to introduce God as Word. By concentrating on
creativity, we connect with our God in whole, starting with God as our Creator. As personal relationships
build, we may move on to speak about how we know God as Spirit and know God as Word in Jesus.
What can we do?
CreateTalk projects connect groups and churches in communities. From tiny hamlet to large city, people
already share creativity in theatres, exhibition spaces, church halls and schools. Each event and each
place is where purposeful connections can be made, and, with a little careful planning, exciting results
can emerge. Churches can link with local professionals in a range of fields who would be delighted to
offer skills to individual activities or to a whole project.
CreateTalk Resources
Many resources for CreateTalk projects will be readily available in local churches. CreateTalk project
ideas, examples and activities will be growing and available in the Resource area of CreateTalk (see
above link).
The Bahamas
The material for this year’s Women’s World Day of Prayer (WWDP) service was prepared by women
from The Bahamas. For the benefit of those who were unable to attend the service at the SA Temple on
Friday 6th March, here is some information about a part of the world that few of us are likely to visit.
Geography
Population
The Bahamas is an expanse of water made up of
over 700 scattered islands, covering over 100,000
square miles of water in the Atlantic Ocean. Only
a small number of the islands are inhabited. The
two main islands are New Providence and Grand
Bahama.
The latest census listed a total population of over
353,600 of which nearly 249,000 live on the
island of New Providence, where the government
is located in Nassau.
The island of Grand Bahama, which boasts the
nation’s second largest city, has a population of
nearly 52,000 and only six other islands have
populations of 3,000 and over.
The descendants of the African slaves constitute
about 86% of the present day population, and the
official language is English intertwined with a
special Bahamian dialect, peculiar to most of the
islands and known as ‘Smokey Joe’.
History and Politics
Nassau, New Providence
The most northerly island, Bimini, is
approximately 52 miles off the coast of Florida,
USA and from the southernmost island of Inagua
one can see the lights of Cuba and Haiti.
The islands are very flat with Mount Alvernia (in
Cat Island) as their highest point, a peak only 206
feet high. The largest island, Andros, is 104 miles
long by 40 miles wide at the widest point. The
Andros Barrier Reef is the world’s third longest
after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the
Central American Belize Barrier Reef.
The Bahamas lies in the tropics so the
temperature is warm for most of the year, with
the hottest months (June to October) being
subject to hurricanes.
Flora and Fauna
A variety of wildlife can be found both on land
and in the sea. Near the beaches you can find
crabs, snails, urchins, starfish and even sharks.
Further inland you will find protected species
such as lizards and rock iguanas, together with
over one hundred and forty species of native and
migratory birds. Inagua is home to over 80,000
beautiful pink flamingos, which are the national
birds of The Bahamas. There are few mammals.
The flora includes 1,370 different species of trees
and plants, 221 of which are found only in these
islands.
Recorded history begins in 1492 when
Christopher Columbus’ first expedition landed on
the Island of Guanahani (now known as San
Salvador). The Spaniards enslaved and decimated
the native Indian population but did not stay to
colonise the islands; they continued their search
for gold in other places.
1647 brought the earliest permanent European
settlement and in 1666 English settlers
established a colony on New Providence.
1713 saw an estimated 1,000 pirates in The
Bahamas, outnumbering the 200 families of more
permanent settlers.
In 1802 the British government brought about an
end to the slave trade.
During WWII, the Allies centred their flight
training and anti-submarine operations for the
Caribbean in The Bahamas. The wartime airfield
became Nassau’s international airport in 1957
and helped spur the growth of mass tourism.
Until 1953, the Parliament was controlled by a
white minority.
Only in 1962 did the women’s suffrage
movement secure the vote for women.
The Bahamas achieved self-government in 1964
and full independence within the commonwealth
in 1973. Today the country is a constitutional
monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II is Head of
State.
Health and Education
The Bahamas’ national health care system is
delivered through clinics and health centres,
sometimes requiring airlifts for specialised care
to government or private facilities, and often
involving overcrowding and long waiting times.
Education is seen as the vital key to progress. In
1722, a missionary society brought education to
the children of The Bahamas so that they could
participate in church worship. Slave owners were
informed that this must happen and slaves were
taught to read and write. By 1878 primary
education was compulsory for all children. At
present government school attendance is
compulsory between the ages of five and sixteen.
Art, Culture and Cuisine
The Bahamian way of life is rooted in a unique
blend of the customs and traditions brought by
the British, who colonised The Bahamas for over
three hundred years, and the West Africans, who
were brought by the British as slaves. The spirit
of the people is celebrated in art and crafts,
music, dance, theatre, fashion, cuisine, cinema,
and storytelling. In New Providence, from the
National Art Gallery to the annual Junkanoo
parades, the richness and vibrancy of Bahamian
culture is on daily display.
Junkanoo is a festive parade that takes place
traditionally in the early hours of both Boxing
Day and New Year’s Day, ending after sunrise.
Wearing colourful crepe paper costumes, people
parade to the tune of cowbells, drums, whistles
and horns. The movement is a slow, dancing
march that Bahamians call ‘rushing’.
1492 brought the European influence: Irish
potatoes and the famous potato salad.
As The Bahamas is surrounded by ocean there is
plenty of seafood available and in many islands
families raise livestock for consumption. Many
desserts and sweets are made from local fruits
such as guava, coconut and pineapple.
Women
Bahamian women were hard workers in the slave
economy. Since then they have been mainly
involved in paid domestic work. Outside of the
main islands there are few work opportunities for
poor women with low levels of formal education
and little has changed. In the Family islands most
mothers are single parents and hold domestic jobs
in hotels or restaurants.
In 1992 the first woman was elected to
Parliament and since then the country has had
female presidents of the Court of Appeal and
Senate, a deputy and governor general and even a
deputy prime minister.
Women have little status under law. They do not
yet have equal rights of citizenship for spouses
and for children born outside The Bahamas.
Some churches and many women believe that a
husband has a right over his wife’s body and
have opposed legislation to change this, which
means that women cannot be protected from
being raped by their husbands.
Bahamian society requires mothers to take sole
responsibility for their families, including
husbands or partners, often to the detriment of
their own health and well-being. Also women are
looked down upon for committing the very same
crimes for which men are quickly forgiven.
Women continue to look to the church for their
social life.
Religion
The Bahamas is overwhelmingly Christian and
has been since 1647 when a group of English
Puritans from Bermuda, in search of religious
freedom, settled on the island of Citagoo, which
they renamed Eleuthera, meaning ‘freedom’.
Junkanoo costume
Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The African influence is reflected in the cuisine
with foodstuffs such as okra, cassava and sweet
potatoes. The arrival of Christopher Columbus in
Today the churches are impacting on The
Bahamas in practical ways, including running
drug rehabilitation centres, working with people
with HIV and AIDS and numerous social and
street programmes.
From www.wwdp.org.uk
A blog post by David Grosch-Miller, Moderator of General Assembly
As regular readers will be aware, I occasionally include posts from the URC Moderators’ blog. There are
two Moderators of General Assembly – one ministerial Moderator, currently Rev. David Grosch-Miller,
and one lay Moderator, currently John Ellis. The following post written by David and uploaded on 16th
February 2015 is useful in that it explains a little about the role of Moderator of General Assembly but it
also triggered a thought-provoking response with a differing viewpoint.
Question and Answer
A visit from an Assembly Moderator can prompt
unexpected questions and unearth unusual stories.
St. Martin’s, Saltdean is no exception! There are
probably many individual members of the United
Reformed Church who would like to ask, “What
is the point of an Assembly Moderator?” The
opportunity to respond in a few brief sentences is
a challenge. The role is a representative one; a
Moderator presides over the meetings of the
General Assembly and the Mission Council. The
role is shared between an Elder and a Minster of
Word and Sacraments. Assembly Moderators,
unlike in some other denominations, do not have
personal authority and take part in public and
ecumenical events on behalf of the Assembly.
At St. Martin’s this led to a conversation about
how the voice of the URC is expressed in the
public square. Assembly Moderators, when asked
for comment on current affairs, will look to see
what Assembly has said previously. The problem
comes when there has been no conversation in
Assembly or Mission Council, do we say nothing
or express a personal view? Either way we will
upset someone! That led onto the use of social
media and the need for congregations to be
sharing their views with Synod and Assembly
and not waiting to complain about what they
don’t like. As a denomination we need more
agitation from the ground up.
Rev. David Grosch-Miller
The Moderator’s blog post attracted the following
response on 23rd February from Rev. Dick Wolff,
Minister of Temple Cowley URC, Oxford and a
councillor representing the Green Party.
I’m currently writing a response to the document
“What is the Spirit saying to the Churches?” – a
document I find quite exasperating. I’m
suggesting that it’s a sign (to me) of a lack of
confidence at the centre of the URC, and that a
more pertinent question might be “What is the
Spirit saying to our national church structure?”
Rather than perpetually asking the local churches
questions and sending material for our
consideration, the national church should be ‘out
front’ in the world, leading, with a media
presence.
David notes the risks of this sort of personal
leadership, and suggests that without Assembly
resolutions behind him he’s wary of expressing
his own opinions. The desire to be accountable is
commendable, but my feeling is that the sort of
leadership we need is one that’s
prepared/encouraged to take more risks than that.
In my paper, I draw parallels with the Green
Party – a movement with about two thirds the
membership of the URC, which has two national
assemblies a year (not one every two). The party
has taken off since the decision, five years ago, to
appoint a leader (initially, for three years,
Caroline Lucas). That decision, hotly contested
by those wary of personal leadership, has marked
a turning point, and membership has trebled in
the last 12 months, partly at least owing to the
party’s public visibility through its leaders.
There is an important discussion to be had in the
URC about personal identifiable leadership, not
least because the national church seems to have
no real clarity about what ordained ministers are
for (despite the fact that over three quarters of the
national budget is spent on us). There is just one
passing reference to the denominationallyordained ministry in the consultation document.
Rev. Dick Wolff
From the Bible
“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to
love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Hadleigh Clinic
A few weeks ago I took Ann Lowes (from St Barnabas Church) to Hadleigh Clinic for an appointment. I
went inside with Ann to enquire whether it would be ok to park in the (staff) car park whilst I waited for
her. I was advised that because two people with earlier appointments had not yet arrived, Ann would be
seen quickly so it would be ok to leave the car where it was. After sitting down to wait, I glanced round
the interior of the clinic and noticed an old photograph on the wall. I could not resist having a closer look.
The photo was one that I had seen before, taken at the official opening of the clinic in 1935. Above the
photo was some text, which I later discovered was taken from the book ‘Hadleigh – An Essex Village’ by
Sandra Harvey and Marion Hancock.
th
Official opening of Hadleigh Clinic on 13 June 1935
I was intrigued to read that our Small Hall had
been used as the clinic for three years before the
current clinic was built. This was something I
had not realised before. To quote from Sandra
and Marion’s book:
“An Infant Welfare Clinic was started in
Hadleigh on a voluntary basis in the early 1920s
in the former village school [i.e. Hadleigh
National School, now Sandcastles Nursery]. The
chairman of the committee was Mr Alfred
Hawks, former head teacher at the school. In
1932, the clinic was moved to the
Congregational Church Hall, in Church Road,
where regular sessions were held until 1935. On
13th June 1935, Hadleigh’s first purpose-built
clinic, built by Falkus Bros. [after whom Falbro
Crescent is named], was opened near the bus
garage in London Road. The new premises were
the most up-to-date of their kind in Essex at that
time, with separate rooms for doctors and a
dentist.”
Some of you will no doubt have spotted Mr Tutt,
headmaster of Hadleigh School in the photo
(third from left). Marjorie Chase who used to
write regular articles about ‘old Hadleigh’ for
our magazine often mentioned Mr Tutt. In fact, I
have one or two of Marjorie’s school reports
signed by him! If you know the names of any
other people in the photo, please let me know.
For those who are not aware, the Small Hall was
also used as the village library from WWII until
the opening of the current library in 1963. Our
Church Secretary, Royston Brackin, can
remember the internal layout. The librarian was
Mr Percy Witty, the Church Secretary from 1931
to 1957, and he was assisted for some time by
his daughter, Rene (Potter), our organist for
many years. According to Sandra and Marion’s
book, Mr Witty was in charge when the county
library was first established in St James’ church
hall (now Sandcastles Nursery) in 1938.
If you have any old photos of people, places or
events in Hadleigh (or Thundersley), please dig
them out. They might make an interesting article
for the magazine and I would be interested in
scanning photos and other documents for
posterity in connection with the Hadleigh &
Thundersley Archive.
Malcolm Brown
Prayer Reflection
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the liturgical
year, signals a busy time in our churches. The
Churches Together Lent studies are under way,
leading into Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter.
Those able to make the sunrise service at
Hadleigh Castle will find it well worth the effort.
It's a time of being busy together; to share our
thoughts, our prayers, our hospitality with friends
whom we may seldom encounter as we go about
our individual church affairs. This year, we are
providing the venue for the Lent meetings, with
ministers and others from different churches
leading them.
Another aspect is that of witness: This relatively
short period represents the central truths of our
Faith and only by being seen to contribute to and
value it can we proclaim those truths to the world
around us.
At this significant time there is need for prayer;
for ourselves and our loved ones, for our
neighbours and for our Christian brothers and
sisters around the world who may be risking their
lives to live out and witness to those truths.
Remember in prayer the troubled times in which
we live and for the vast well of human suffering
around the world: Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Congo
and Sudan. Pray for the right answer to the tragic
refugee problem.
Pray for the coming general election: for a spirit
of calm and reason amid the sound and fury of
electioneering and for guidance in making the
right choice for the healing of our hurting and
divided nation and its place in the world
We also hold in prayer members of our
congregation and wider fellowship and their
loved ones. As part of our monthly rota, please
pray for: Stan and Brenda Balls, Daphne
Lockwood, Margaret Irribarren and Mary Milne.
Rev. Jack Roche
A prayer for Mothering Sunday (15th March)
Loving God, we thank you for mothers –
for all they mean or have meant,
for the love they have shown and the care they have given.
We thank you for the qualities of mothers –
their patience, their kindness, concern and understanding.
We thank you for the part they play in our lives,
and we thank you for this day of saying ‘thank you’,
this opportunity to say what we so often mean to say
but so rarely do.
For mothers and motherhood,
for children and families
we bring you this day our grateful praise.
Amen
What is the Spirit saying to the Churches?
At the General Assembly in Cardiff in July 2014,
the Faith and Order Committee submitted three
reports about the future of the United Reformed
Church.
The first report was entitled: What is the Spirit
saying to the Churches? Affirming the United
Reformed Church’s future. In it, the authors
acknowledged the “gradual decline and
contraction” that has been an undeniable feature
of the United Reformed Church’s life, and the
“sense of despair and negativity that afflicts
organizations which feel they are in decline,
leading to helplessness and hopelessness.” The
authors issued the challenge to find a “focus on
the joy of life in Christ, the energy the Holy
Spirit offers, and the vision of what God holds in
front of us”.
General Assembly was as one in endorsing that
the URC most definitely has a future but
recognised that there are problems. For example,
should we be seen as uniting and reforming and
called as such rather than United and Reformed?
How do we discern the will of the Holy Spirit
together?
The General Assembly commended the report for
further reflection and invited people and councils
at each level of the Church to feed back
comments to the Faith and Order Committee by
July 2015. To this end, a booklet has been
produced that embodies the report and every
church has been sent a copy. A pdf version is
available on the URC website and I have ordered
extra paper copies. A further report will come to
General Assembly in 2016.
The second report was entitled What is the Spirit
saying to the Churches? The United Reformed
Church’s gift of conciliarity. This issue is about
the unique nature of the Church Meeting and how
we practice a shared listening for the movement
of the Holy Spirit in those meetings. A forceful
point was made that often in debate we disagree
at Synod and national levels but do this in a spirit
of openness and friendship. However, all too
often a less forgiving attitude is prevalent at
Church Meeting when a dissenting voice offers
an alternative point of view.
General Assembly affirmed the concept of
conciliarity. It commissioned the Faith and Order
Committee to produce resources for study which
emphasise the theological understanding that
undergirds conciliarity, and to offer reflections on
the nature of church membership and ways in
which it has evolved and is evolving, The
understanding of church membership will be an
agenda item at the next General Assembly.
The third report was entitled What is the Spirit
saying to the Churches? Ordained local ministry.
The issue of having the availability of a Minister
of Word and Sacraments to preside at
communion has become progressively more
difficult, especially, but not exclusively, at
smaller rural churches as the number of ordained
Ministers continues to decline. The idea put
forward by the Faith and Order Committee is that
a particular elder in each church could be
recognised as a Celebrant Elder and allowed to
preside at communion locally.
General Assembly directed the Faith and Order
Committee to set up a task group incorporating
expertise from other committees of the United
Reformed Church to explore the possibility of
authorising ‘celebrant elders’ to preside at the
sacraments. Progress will be reported to the
General Assembly in 2016.
Quotations from the York Course ‘Praise Him’ booklet
True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. – C.S. Lewis
The greatest lesson in life if to know that even fools are right sometimes. – Sir Winston Churchill
Those who sing pray twice. – attributed to St Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
If the only prayer you said was ‘Thank you’, that would be enough. – Meister Eckhart (German
mystic c.1260-1328)
Piglet noticed that though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a large amount of Gratitude. –
from Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Family News
Some Quite Interesting facts
•
There is enough carbon in your body to make 9,000 pencils.
•
A group of kittens is called “a kindle”.
•
Lord Kitchener had four spaniels called Shot, Bang, Miss and Damn.
•
Earthworms have five hearts.
•
There is only one sneeze in the Bible.
•
Twice as many forks as knives are sold in the UK.
•
The average woman spends 16 months of her life crying.
•
40 million people in China live in caves.
•
Babies are born with no bacteria in their bodies.
•
The Moon is shaped like an egg: it only looks round because the big end
points towards Earth.
•
The most-read publication in the UK is Tesco magazine.
From 1,339 QI Facts To Make Your Jaw Drop
Computer Corner
Volumouse
Useful
free
software
Volumouse provides a quick and easy way to control the sound volume on your system simply by scrolling the wheel on your mouse. You define a set of rules for determining
when the wheel will be used for changing the sound volume. For example: You can
configure Volumouse to use your mouse wheel for volume control when the Alt key is
hold down, when the left mouse button is down, when the mouse cursor is over the
taskbar, and so on.
Download from: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/volumouse.html
Look at Life – Scrambling for it (Motorbike scrambling the 1960s)
Interesting
video
Like last month’s selection, this YouTube video is a trailer for a commercial DVD – this
one is about motorbike scrambling in the 1960s. What makes it interesting is that the
first three minutes are about the Greeves motorbike factory in Thundersley. Oddly, the
presenter (Eamonn Andrews) never actually mentions the Greeves company by name!
View at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY2jvzAWR2k or Google “look at life
scrambling”
Streetlife – a local social network
Interesting
website
Surprisingly, I had not heard of Streetlife until recently. It is a bit like Facebook but more
aimed at community involvement. People sign up with their postcode and email address
and are automatically connected to other Streetlife users in their local area. You can
post messages, events, pictures etc. and locals can respond. You can receive e-mails
that keep you updated on discussions happening in your local area (which is how I use
it). Users can customise their account so they control how much information they
receive, the areas they’re interested in, and what they share about themselves.
Website: https://www.streetlife.com
HADLEIGH URC OFFICERS
USEFUL INFORMATION
Minister:
Rev. Jack Roche
Address: 1 Church Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet, SS7 2DQ
(01268 455194)
URC website: www.urc.org.uk
Hon. Secretary:
Mr Royston Brackin
Website: www.hadleighessexurc.org.uk
(01702 558862)
Acting Hon. Treasurer:
URC Eastern Synod Office contact info:
Mr Royston Brackin
Address: Synod Office, The United Reformed Church,
Whittlesford, Cambridge, CB2 4ND
Elders: (* denotes Serving Elder)
Tel no: 01223 830770 E-mail: eastern.admin@urc.org.uk
Mr Royston Brackin*
Website: www.urc-eastern.org.uk
Mrs Heather Brown*
(01702 557678)
An invitation…
Mr Malcolm Brown*
(01702 557678)
Miss Jean Reeve*
(01702 554907)
If you are not currently connected with this church or any
other place of worship then we assure you of a warm
welcome at our services. Why not join us next Sunday or at
Mrs Elsie Forster, Mr Keith Gargrave,
Mrs Mary Milne, Mrs Sylvia Patten
our monthly midweek service?
Elder ‘emeritus’: Rev. Peter Brewer
If you are in need of help that the ministry of the church can
supply then you can be assured of our interest and concern.
Each Serving Elder has a list of Church
members and adherents for whom they
have a pastoral responsibility. Please
speak to your Elder if you have any
problems, news etc.
If you are suffering from ill health, loneliness or
bereavement and feel that we could help, or if you would
like to ask for a prayer or personal visit then please let our
Minister or any of the other church officers know. All such
requests are treated in the strictest confidence.
CHURCH DIARY FOR MARCH 2015
DAY
TIME
EVENT
Sunday 1st
10.30am
6.30pm
Monday 2nd
8.00pm
Ladies Recreation Group
Tuesday 3rd
9.30am - 11.00am
7.30pm
Alphabet Club for Parents/Carers & Tots
Churches Together Lent Course session 2
Thursday 5th
10.30am - 12 noon
12 noon - 13.30
Saturday 7th
8.30am - 10.00am
Morning Service – Rev. Jack Roche MA
Evening Service with Holy Communion – Mrs Heather Brown
Coffee Morning (Refreshments served until 11.45am)
LifeBuilders Meeting (including packed lunch)
Men’s Breakfast Meeting
Sunday 8th
10.30am
6.30pm
Monday 9th
8.00pm
Ladies Recreation Group
9.30am - 11.00am
2.30pm
7.30pm
Alphabet Club for Parents/Carers & Tots
Wives’ Fellowship – Col. Jane Boardman
Talk: “My Homes Throughout My Life in the SA”
Churches Together Lent Course session 3
7.30pm
ELDERS’ MEETING
Tuesday 10th
Wednesday 11th
Thursday 12th
Morning Service – Rev. Tony Windsor
Evening Service – Rev. Eric Fenwick
10.30am - 12 noon
12 noon - 12.30
Coffee Morning (Refreshments served until 11.45am)
Prayer Meeting
Sunday 15th
10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Service with Holy Communion – Rev. Jack Roche MA
Evening Service – Mrs Kathy McCullough
Monday 16th
8.00pm
Ladies Recreation Group
Tuesday 17th
9.30am - 11.00am
7.30pm
Alphabet Club for Parents/Carers & Tots
Churches Together Lent Course session 3
7.30pm
CHURCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday 18th
Thursday 19th
10.30am - 12 noon
Coffee Morning (Refreshments served until 11.45am)
Sunday 22nd
10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Service – Rev. John Ambrose
Evening Service – Mr Doug Thomas
Monday 23rd
8.00pm
Ladies Recreation Group
Tuesday 24th
9.30am - 11.00am
2.30pm
7.30pm
Alphabet Club for Parents/Carers & Tots
Wives’ Fellowship – Easter Meditation & Communion
Churches Together Lent Course session 5
Thursday 26th
10.30am
Midweek Service – Mr Jim Clubb
Sunday 29th
10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Service – Col. Hubert Boardman
Evening Service – Rev. Marion Sturrock
Monday 30th
8.00pm
Tuesday 31st No session - holiday
Ladies Recreation Group
Alphabet Club for Parents/Carers & Tots
If you would like to receive a paper copy of this magazine on a regular basis, please contact the Editor,
Malcolm Brown, on 01702 557678. The magazine is also distributed electronically as a PDF file by e-mail.
If you would like to receive the PDF version, please send an e-mail to mgbrownmail@yahoo.co.uk. An edited
version of the PDF file is available from the church website at www.hadleighessexurc.org.uk.