Happy Easter from Revd Mike to you and your family
This the first edition of our online magazine since we’ve not been able to print. We’ve included in the online format as much as we could from the printed format and some new items.
Christian Life Magazine
Online
April 2020
We would love to have your contributions for the May Magazine – please click here to
‘Submit an Item‘
Ministry Letter by Revd Frank Powell
What a great blessing we have in our medical services.
Last October I was rushed to A&E, then diagnosed with a blockage of the bowel, caused, the Surgeon said, by a cancer. He said there were three choices. The first was to remove the tumour also the damaged section of colon, then fit a stoma bag. But he did not recommend it because he feared I would not survive such a serious procedure, nor would I have Chemo or Radiotherapy. Instead, he would propose inserting a stent to restore a passage through the colon. And the third option, I asked? “You will not leave the hospital” he said!
I knew I had much prayerful support for which most heartfelt thanks, which must have played a part in the most amazing response to the bad news. There was no feeling of shock, fear, worry, or anger. Instead, there came an overwhelming sense of peace, and even joy, a sense of being protected, as though being enfolded in an invisible cloak of love and support, which remained with me. It is not that unusual an experience as is testified by the poem ‘Footsteps’. ‘My precious child, I never left you during your time of trial. Where you see only one set of footprints, it was I that carried you.’
Where is Jesus? Where He promised He would always be. He said, “I am with you every single day, to the end of the Ages.” Many millions and millions in the years since Easter and Pentecost must have had such experiences. But we have to invite Jesus in. “Here I am, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with them, and they with me.”
So where is Heaven? It is wherever Jesus is, then if we are with Jesus, as he means us to be, we are in Heaven right here and now! Without Him, we are nowhere, totally without any lasting future. So we choose, not my way, but Jesus’s way. He said also, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”
St Paul wrote in his letter to the PHILIPPIANS, ‘Rejoice in the Lord. I will say it again rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all.’
‘THE LORD IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELULIA!’
A Happy and Blessed Easter,
Frank
“All Public Worship has been suspended” The Archbishops of Canterbury and York. 17 March 2010.
On the 17 March 2020 all Public Worship was suspended in our Churches.
This has taken some getting used to for us all.
However, worship has continued, not in our buildings, but online from Revd Mike & Revd Paul’s homes. Since Mothering Sunday on 22 March we have held worship via Facebook and now also YouTube. It’s certainly very different from what we’ve ever done before, but at least it kept some type of worshipping community together. You can view all the services we’ve done including Holy Week by clicking on the icons below.
Never before has the saying, ‘The Church is the people not the building’ meant so much. Dave Walker (@davewalker)of the cartoonchurch.com drew this cartoon: The building is closed. The Church is open. How true!
Whilst Stepping Stones hasn’t been able to meet the leaders have kept things going by sharing videos on their Facebook Page with the children. Sylvia, Revd Mike & Diane have all posted stories to help the children during these difficult times.
Mothers’ Union News
As we cannot meet for our meetings in the Howe Room, we can meet spiritually by contacting each other via the telephone or the internet, we can pray for each other, the NHS, all medical staff and carers, and all the other frontline people. So many we took for granted, the checkout staff, delivery drivers etc, these are the people who made it possible for items to be at the selling point when we needed them. When this situation is all over, we will realise how interconnected we are, each one playing their part. Our work for the Mothers’ Union can still carry on, our current project is knitting squares to be made into our ‘Blankets of Hope’, these will be sent to Care UK in Northwich, who will send them in the next container going to the refugee camps. Any knitters who are reading this and would like to help, please do so as all blankets will be gratefully received. Patterns can be obtained from myself or Sue. For those who have the internet, please look at the MU Central Website where there is a very encouraging and supporting message from Sharan Harper, our Worldwide President and Rev Dr Emma Ineson, our new Central Chaplin, as well as many resources for use.
God be with you all, take care and stay safe. Jenny
If you are isolating and need help then please call Nadiah
Christian Aid week 2020
We are planning to hold a live stream service on Sunday 10 May – more detials to follow…
Virtual fundraising
Due to Covid-19 there won’t be a physical collection this year however,
Christian Aid Week is moving online! We would love you to join in to show love for our neighbours near and far, as a global family. Host your own virtual event, send an e-envelope to your family and friends or join us in worship – we’ve got lots of creative ideas for you to take part in.
Coronavirus guidance for Christian Aid Week events and activities
We value our volunteers enormously and want to ensure you all keep safe when fundraising for Christian Aid Week. The health and safety of our community is of the utmost importance to us, and we are monitoring the situation on a daily basis.
Please follow our Coronavirus guidance for Christian Aid Week events and activities
Ways to donate this year for Christian Aid Week
Telephone and postal donations
Unfortunately under the current circumstances regarding Covid-19, there is a delay to processing donations by post. Please give via the website where possible or call 020 7523 2269 to donate by telephone.
Paying directly into our bank account
For details on how to pay money directly into our bank account please call 020 7523 2226.
Payroll giving
Did you know that you can make a regular, tax-free donation to Christian Aid directly from your pay packet?
To find out more, email info@christian-aid.org or call 020 7523 2046.
Well done to all our swimmers who took part in the annual Christian Aid Sponsored Swim. Thanks to all who sponsored the St Mary’s Group. We raised around £600. This will be matched by an international donor for each £1 with £20 which means we raised £12000!
Easter Videos from the Bible Society
A number of our congregation have done the Bible Course [thanks to Jenny V] and a free 6-minute clip from the course is available for Easter. Also, there is an animated video from the Bible Society for Easter called the Miracle Man. Do check out the other great resources that the Bible Society produces at https://www.biblesociety.org.uk
Seeds of Hope from Joy
Seeds of Hope from the Nativity Service
At the Nativity Service on Christmas Eve we gave out a gift of poppy seeds and asked families to plant them. Joy Chaplow sent us a picture of her’s that had begun to sprout through.
She said, ‘This morning the first shoot came through the soil on my Christmas Eve seeds.’
Thanks for sharing Joy!!
We made a donation to Water Aid UK for £104.00. This was from the sale of the Nativity DVD’s (£100) & weekly collections from our Junior Church (£4). Many thanks everyone.
Giving Whilst our Church Buildings are Closed.
To give via the Bank:
Account Name: St Mary’s Wistaston PCC
Sort Code: 08 92 99
Account No: 65067004
Ref: << your initial & surname>>
The War Memorial Project
For many years’ villagers have paid their respects to the fallen of both world wars at the memorial in the grounds of St Mary’s Church. However, in more recent years we have become aware that the paths to the memorial are failing and the large unprotected drop close to the memorial raises concern for the safety of those laying wreaths.
St Mary’s Church in partnership with Wistaston and Rope Parish Councils last year launched a project to modernise the area around our memorial. The War Memorial Project which will commemorate the centenary year of the end of WW1 giving safer access for all to the War Memorial in the churchyard at St Mary’s with new paths, a safer area to view the memorial and lay wreaths with a safety railing and a better paved area around the memorial.
We are also planning to include a new area to remember all those not in the armed services but who also lost their lives during the two wars and for those who have fallen In the service of the country since the end of 2nd World War.
The Church and Councils have committed funds to begin this project and work will begin In March. A number of local businesses have also made generous donations towards the project, but there is still some way to go if we are to Include all the aspects of our plans to ensure our village memorial provides a fitting tribute to the brave for another 100 years.
We welcome questions about our project and look forward to seeing many villagers at this year’s remembrance service which will include wreath laying at the memorial by many local organisations.
If you would like to donate towards this village project, we are happy to accept via St Mary’s Church Office, Church Lane, Wistaston with any payments made to St Mary’s Wistaston PCC and marked War Memorial Project.
Simon Bartholomew
St Mary’s PCC
Update: Work was started on the project in March, but sadly it had to be suspended due to the difficulty of safe distancing at work. It will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.
Ways to keep in touch at this time. Click on an icon below to find out more
From the Parish Registers
21 January – 31 March 2020
Baptisms
26 January 2020 – Scarlett Roberta GREENSMITH
26 January 2020 – Theodore Thomas MORREY
23 February 2020 – Jacob Thomas BAILEY
23 February 2020 – Oliver Michael FENNER
Weddings
23 March 2020 – Joseph Emilio DUNN & Alana SANDLAND
Funerals
| 24 January 2020 | Fiona STABLES | 51 |
| 5 February 2020 | Betty FLETCHER | 94 |
| 7 February 2020 | Joyce Patricia MUSKER | 85 |
| 10 March 2020 | Norma PRESTON | 77 |
| 17 March 2020 | Cheryl PARKER | 46 |
| 18 March 2020 | Audrey Eunice DUCKETT | 98 |
| 24 March 2020 | Doris Grand | 93 |
| 31 March 2020 | Michael Ernest GRIFFITHS | 83 |
If you have an article for a future edition of this online magazine please use the link above to submit an article of email the editor at: editor@magazine.stmaryswistaston.blog
