ChadNet – no 11 – Sunday 7th June 2020
Welcome to the 11th edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.
View from the Vicarage:
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Always difficult to preach on, but also wonderful to experience. Knowing God as relationship, community, partnership is a fantastic liberation from the image of the severe old man sitting on a cloud somewhere seeking to stop all our fun!
Now you may think I am being a bit flippant saying that, but I wonder how many of us still harbour a notion of the authoritarian figure of God lurking somewhere at the back of our psyche?
Given the outcry this week, following the murder of George Floyd, I think the Trinity is also a useful tool to help us remember why racism (or indeed any other ‘ism’ that sets one group of people up as superior to another) is always deeply sinful. I also know that some people do not understand why here in the UK (or in Australia or Canada or other countries) there should be protests about what has happened in America. But surely the point is that all people are members of the human race? There is only one race – human; and the sooner we recognise and live that out, the better this world will be! Realising that many of us are born into a life of privilege – just by virtue of of being white, Western European, living in a country with good social and health services and education – helps us to acknowledge that the same is not true for many millions of others on this earth. And it has nothing to do with anything we have done personally to merit that privilege… it just exists. So while we may not be able to do much at an individual level to counter the sort of institutional racism and discrimination that is built into our society, even small acts of kindness and respect will eventually help to redress the balance.
Here is what the Rev’d. Canon John Kafwanka, the Anglican Communion’s Director for Mission in the Diocese of Lusaka, Zambia, has to say about the Trinity… God’s Model of Partnership…
For many people today, partnership is a dead word. But to me, it is at the very heart of mission – and it is at the very centre of who God is.
When we think of the Triune God, -the Trinity- partnership is right there. God exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the work of creation and redemption is done as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That to me is divine partnership: one God, expressed in three persons in real, credible partnership.
And so therefore, when we say that we as Christians share in that mission of God of loving the world, we share both as beneficiaries of that gift from God and also as ones who are sent to live out that gift in our world today. And we can only do that in partnership with God and with each other.
There is no way we can claim that the Gospel is complete in any shape or form if it’s an individual effort. The Gospel becomes real when we see it being lived out by all God’s people – and that can only happen in the context of partnership.
John Donne, writing 400 or so years ago put it this way…. “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…..any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.”
God bless you and keep you safe,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. ☩
Maureen.
Contacts
Maureen can be contacted by phone, text or email. (01902 700257 – 07812 805371 – )
Contact details for other church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website.
Communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to
Sunday 7th June – Trinity Sunday
There will be a Family Service led by Barbara Dias on the Worship on the Web page of the website from 10 am. As usual hymns will be sung by the virtual church choir. For those without internet access it will also be on the DIal a Service phone line (01902 906585) from 9 am – until then last Sunday’s service is on the phone line.
Join Maureen and other members of the congregation for a chat and a virtual cup of tea or coffee over Zoom from 11 o’clock. [The invitation to the Zoom meeting is only included in the edition of ChadNet which is emailed to subscribers.] You can join at any time up until 11.30 am.
The collect and readings for the Eucharist, which would normally be on the pewsheet, are available on the website.
During the week Maureen will continue to stream Morning Prayer and Compline (Night Prayer) on Facebook Live. Morning Prayer will be at 8.30 am and Compline will be at 9.30 pm.
Sunday 14th June – 1st Sunday after Trinity
As it is the second Sunday of the month the service will be put together and led by the Youth Group. It will be on the Worship on the Web page of the website from 10 am.
The collect and readings for the Eucharist, which would normally be on the pewsheet, are available on the website.
From the Registers for May
Funerals
- 28th May – Derek Taylor
- 29th May – Trevor Bridgwood
From the Memorial Book
Those whose anniversaries occur between 1st June and 14th June.
Thomas Caddick – 1st June 1998
Harry Kibble – 1st June 2002
Stuart Gerard Bowley – 5th June 1975
Gerald Giles – 5th June 2002
Gunter Hanns Jonat – 6th June 1983
Jean Beryl Shelley – 6th June 2011
William Bull – 6th June 2015
Henry Parkes – 9th June 1989
Nellie Elizabeth Warrilow – 9th June 1967
Violet Agnes Davies – 11th June 1992
Gwendoliyn Mary Pellow – 11th June 2010
Geraint Samuel Jones – 12th June 2013
Annie Parton – 13th June 1987
Gerald Victor Rowley – 14th June 1993
Update from ICU
Tracey Williams, a member of our congregation who is a Sister in the Intensive Care Unit at New Cross Hospital, was interviewed as part of the Worship on the Web Service on 19th April. She has sent the following update on life in ITU.
“Things over the past few weeks have settled down to normal levels thankfully. We have segregated areas obviously for covid and non covid patients and I feel this will be our new norm as well as living in PPE. All our wonderful helpers (ODPs, scrub nurses, outpatient staff, retired ITU Staff and a variety of others), who were redeployed by management to assist and be supervised by us, have now returned to their normal roles. Despite entering our world of Intensive Care Nursing at an exceptional time they were amazing. We could not have got through without them. We have sadly (as across the country) witnessed, despite all our efforts, the loss of patients and this has affected us greatly. However, we have and continue to have many many successes that we clap through the doors after spending weeks in our care.
“So what does the future hold with the easing of lock down? I’m hoping and praying it will just be a steady trickle of cases and not a second surge. Covid sadly will be out there for sometime and we have learnt so much over the past months in how we care for those who sadly need ITU support.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Tracey and her colleagues as well as the patients they care for.
Rotas
The current issued rotas finish at the end of June. Although we are not yet aware when services will resume, the PCC felt that it would be prudent that rotas be prepared for July and August so that they are ready if they are needed. Peter and Elaine have done these based on the normal pattern of services. However, before the rotas are issued they need to know if there is anyone who prefers not to be included on these rotas at present. Therefore if you would not wish to be included could you please let Peter know as soon as possible in order that any amendments can be made and the rotas circulated. Peter’s email address is
Giving to the Church
While we are not able to take offertory collections in church please think about giving in other ways. See the Giving page on the website to see how or go straight to our page on JustGiving.
For those without internet access – listen to a Pattingham church service by phone
Several members of our congregation who do not use the internet are using the dedicated phone number – 01902 906585 – to listen to our services. Calls are charged at normal rate. The service for each Sunday will be available from about 9 am and will continue to be available until it is replaced be the next week’s. If you know someone who might find it useful please let them know.
This, of course, is aimed at people who do not read this bulletin. If you know someone who might find it useful please let them know.
The Daily Hope phone line from the Church of England on 0800 804 8044 is also available.
Other resources for worship and prayer at home
In these times we are all needing to find different ways to pray and worship. There are a lot of different resources which have been made available in lots of different ways. Some of those are listed on the Resources Available Online page of the website. This not anything like a complete list of everything which is available. We also now have a Resources Available for Children, Young People and Families page.
Sunday School continues to be available online on the Sunday School on the Web page.
Maureen often shares inspirational posts on the Church Facebook page so it is worth looking at that from time to time.
Virtual Sunday School is a YouTube channel started by the Spring Harvest Organisation during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak when children and families cannot attend Church physically. It includes the sort of high energy presentation which young children seem to enjoy.
Last week’s video is Pentecost & the CHOCOLATE CHALLENGE! and this week’s is The Body of Christ – Celebrating Diversity – (1 Cor 12)
If you have found something which you have found useful please send the details to so that it can be shared with others.
ChadNet
This bulletin is sent to those who have requested it. We now have 72 subscribers but there may still be some people who are not aware of it and would wish to receive it. If you know of anyone who might be interested please tell them about it and ask them to sign up using the form on the website (www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/chadnet/sign-up-to-chadnet/) or by email to
Giving to the church
While normal services are not being held there will inevitably be a reduction in the money which the church receives. However we will need to continue to pay our bills and we would ask that those who can afford to do so should continue to give regularly.
Although it will not be possible to put money in the plate there are a number of other ways in which you can give to the church. These include the Giving Direct scheme, Just Giving, a standing order or even one off transfers to the church bank account. Details of all of these can be found on the Giving page of the website. Those who normally use the green or yellow envelopes may wish to continue to put their donations in the envelopes ready to bring to church when services resume.
We have set up a JustGiving page to enable people to make one off donations. It’s at www.justgiving.com/pattingham-church. You will be asked if you want to make a contribution on top of your donation. If you do it will go to JustGiving and not to charity. If you do not want to make such a contribution select “other”. If you are a taxpayer please consider gift aiding your donation.
If you wish to make a payment by bank transfer the details of our bank account are: Account name: Pattingham Parochial Church Council – Sort Code: 20-97-78 – A/c No: 50655023. If you wish to gift aid it contact the Gift Aid Secretary or the Treasurer.
Changes due to the current situation
The church building is closed but the church community remains active. Further details can be found on the church website. There is an update page which gives more information.
- This years’s Holiday Club has been cancelled.
- The Church Fete has been cancelled for this year.
- The Century Club draws are suspended until further notice.
- The Who’s for Lunch lunches are suspended for the time being.
- The church clock has stopped as guidance from the Church of England prevents it from being wound. The carrilon continues to play automatically three times a day.
- The same guidance also prevents us from flying the flag for Pentecost.
- Publication of the magazine is suspended for the moment.
The weekly bulletin for each Sunday will normally be sent on the preceding Friday or Saturday. Additional bulletins may be sent if required. It is only being sent to those who have requested it. If you know of anyone who might be interested please tell them about it and ask them to sign up using the form on the website (www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/chadnet/sign-up-to-chadnet/) or by email to
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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604