ChadNet

ChadNet – no 182 – Sunday 17th September 2023

Welcome to this week’s edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.

In this week’s ChadNet:

View from the Pews – Jill Baker
Sunday 17th September – Trinity 15
This week
Sunday 24th September – Trinity 16 – Harvest Thanksgiving
Help needed …
Dementia Friendly Church – weekly prayer
Donations for The Well
From the Memorial Book
Giving to the Church

View from the Pews

Ever since I was a small child and read the fictional book ‘Ballet Shoes’ by Noel Streatfeild, I have loved and enjoyed classical ballet. Ballet Shoes is the magical, warm-hearted and much loved classic tale of three very different girls who work hard to master their talents.

In our prayers for over a year now at Prayers for Peace on a Tuesday evening, we have often prayed for refugees who have fled Ukraine to hopefully find safety and security somewhere new. Conversely, one small group of Ukrainian people were actually touring outside of Ukraine when the war with Russia started. Sadly, they have been unable to go home in the meantime.

For the dancers of Kyiv City Ballet, everything was as it should be on February 23, 2022. They were in Paris getting ready to perform The Nutcracker, just another classical ballet company on tour. The next day, however, their world turned upside down when Russia invaded Ukraine. Kyiv City Ballet have not been home since.

Stranded in Paris, uncertain when, or indeed if, they could go back to Ukraine, the exiled dancers began an 18-month odyssey of life on the road. Their performances, “spreading a message of peace, hope and resilience”, have taken them around Europe and America. Next up is the Edinburgh Fringe for the month of August, then London for seven performances in September. The perils of war have left the dancers isolated and separated from loved ones back home. We prayed in our group for their physical and mental wellbeing on this emotional and enforced continued journey.

Kyiv City Ballet is hardworking. Last year it gave well over 150 performances, a remarkable achievement by any standards, but especially impressive when you consider its limited resources and fragile existence.

The company relies on ticket sales along with donations from the public and the goodwill of theatres, hotels and travel companies. Last year the dancers undertook a tour of America. Wherever they go, by way of payback, the company offers school visits, workshops with children and open classes. The strength and determination of this group is amazing and we pray for their continued resilience to be able to carry on this indefinitely.

In Colossians 2:7 it reminds us that even without being able to have the freedom to live where we choose, we can always turn to the Lord for strength and guidance.
“Continue to live your lives in him, let your roots grow down and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

We all pray for peace and an end to this war, so that this small company of hard working people can permanently return home. Feel free to join us every Tuesday at 6.00 pm.

Jill Baker

Would you like to write a View from the Pews?

We welcome contributions for View from the Pews from anyone who would like to write one, It does not need to be on any particular subject. If you would like to write one please send it to or contact Henry Ibberson ( / 01902 701136).

Contacts

We do not have a VIcar at the moment. For matters which would normally be dealt with by the Vicar the churchwardens are the first point of contact. The Vicarage phone (01902 700257) is redirected to the churchwardens. When they are not available a message can be left on the voicemail and they will return the call when they are available. Emails to will be received by the churchwardens.

Contact details for church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website. You can use if you are nore sure who to contact and the churchwardens will be able to forward it to the correct person.

Notices, which should be received by Friday evening for inclusion in that week’s ChadNet, and other communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to

Articles for the magazine should be sent to (note – this is different to the address used before November 2020 which no longer works).

Sunday 17th September – Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

At 10 am there will be a service led by the Youth Group in church.This will be followed by a short service of Holy Communion, led by Revd. Paul Brown, to which you are all most welcome. Immediately after communion we will be serving refreshments, tea and coffee.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live or work in: Rudge Road, Lower Rudge, Spoonley Gate, Upper Ludstone, Worcester Road.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for: Holy Cross, Bilbrook.

This week

The church will be open every day. Look out for the “church open” sign outside the porch.

On Tuesday Prayers for Peace will be said in church at 6 pm. Please do join us and if you would like more information or are willing to lead a session, please contact Mary Hayward ().

On Wednesday at 10.00 am there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer, led by Revd James Makepeace, in church which will be followed by tea, coffee and cake.

After the service the church will be open from 10.30 am until at least 11.00 am as a Place of Welcome when anyone who wants to will be welcome to share in the coffee, cake and chat, whether they have been to the service or not. Those attending will receive a warm welcome.

On Wednesday at 6 pm in church the Pattingham Shower Singers meet in church. All are welcome – just come and sing and have fun! If you need more information, contact Alix at

On Thursday at 2 pm the monthly “FORGET ME NOT” Tea takes place at St Andrew`s Church Shifnal – for carers and their loved ones. A warm welcome is assured. More details from Tracey WIlliams, our Dementia Friendly Church Co-ordinator. They are celebrating Forget Me Not`s 10th Birthday – what an amazing achievement.

At 9.30 am on Friday the school Harvest service takes place in church.

The Scarecrow Festival is open from 12 noon to 5 pm on Friday and from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found at <https://www.pattinghamscarecrowfestival.org/>

There is a Barn Dance in the Village Hall on Friday at 7.30 pm. Tickets £8 each available from Anna Davies.

There is a Brass Band Concert in church on Saturday at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £15 each and are available from Alan Smith or any member of the PCC.

Sunday 24th September – Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity – Harvest Thanksgiving

At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion for Harvest, led by Revd Paul Brown, in church.There will be no refreshments in church after the service but refreshments will be available at the Village Hall as part of the Scarecrow Festival.

At 6.30 pm there will be an EveningService for Harvest and to mark the close of the Scarecrow Festival. Our harvest donations this year are being given to The Well, a Wolverhampton based food bank. Donations can be brought to church at any time when it is open until the evening service. Details of the items wanted are in the last two weeks’ issues of ChadNet and on the website.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live or work in: Windsor Road, Greenway Gardens, Sandringham Road and Braemar Road.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for: St Michael and All Angels, Himley.

Help needed …

Scarecrow Festival car parks

WE URGENTLY need CAR PARK HELPERS
for both Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th,
from 10.00am to 1.00pm AND 1.00pm to 4.00pm,
CAN YOU HELP ?
If so, please contact Chrissie on 01902 700340 or Mike on 01902 700426

Scarecrow Festival cakes

If you would like to help in this village event and enjoy making a cake, let Iain Coleman know (07896 586091 – ). Cakes should be delivered to the Village Hall on Friday 22nd September from 1 o’clock onwards.

Help needed for Brass Band Concert

Volunteers are needed please to help with the concert on Saturday 23 September as follows:

Set up from 6pm
Door from 6.30pm
Selling raffle tickets from 7pm
Drawing the raffle and counting the proceeds
Assisting Gena in setting up the refreshments and serving them in the interval
Tidying up at the end

If you are able to help in any way please contact Alan Smith on 07757 688518 or e mail at

Dementia Friendly Church

Weekly Prayer

God of Wisdom, in a world which is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to me,
it is an enormous relief to know that there are people who love me.
People who don`t give up on me when I appear foolish.
People who make sure that I do things I need to, who care for me, who take over the jobs I used to do.
They give me a rock to hold on to.
I thank you that there are many other people around me who know that I have dementia and care about me.
Doctors, nurses, support workers, volunteers, friends who stand by me.
I don`t always know what is happening to me, but they do.
I give praise that I am surrounded by so much love and help.
Most if all, your love enfolds me.
AMEN

(Prayers for Dementia and how to live well with it Fay Sampson)

Donations for The Well

The need for the Food Bank continues and the box for donations for the Food Bank at The Well in Wolverhampton continues to be at the back of the church. The wishing well is also at the back of the church if you have any spare loose change. Donations, however small, go towards running costs. Don’t be shy, every little helps!

From the Memorial Book

Those whose anniversaries occur between 10th and 24th September.

Lesley Margaret Dain – 10th September 2015
Michael Patrick Curtis – 10th September 2021
Thomas Harold Beach – 12th September 1995
Phyllis Mabel Price – 13th September 2007
Annie Mary Caddick – 13th September 2011
Jonathan Hassall – 13th September 2019
Reginald John Henshaw – 14th September 2006
Jan Zdanowski – 14th September 2011
George Price – 15th September 1961
Peter John Curtis – 15th September 2005
Dorothy Caddick – 17th September 2007
Dorothy Lavender – 18th September 2016
Harry Colin Robinson – 18th September 2021
Jack Bennett – 19th September 1990
A. H. Norman Harris – 20th September 2004
Barbara Agnes Roberts – 20th September 2021
Malcolm Harris – 21st September 2003
Thomas Henry Ray – 23rd September 2016
Kenelm Henry Forshaw Rose – 24th September 2000

You can see all the pages of the Memorial Book on the Memorial Book Online page of the Church website.

Giving to the church

Details of the various ways in which you can give can be found on the Giving page of the website.

We have 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.

You can make a bank transfer to our bank account (Account name: Pattingham Parochial Church Council – Sort Code: 20-97-78 Account No: 50655023).

If you are paying by cheque please make the cheque payable to “Pattingham PCC” or “Pattingham Parochial Church Council“.

This bulletin is sent to those who have requested it. We now have 122 subscribers but there may still be some people who are not aware of it and would wish to receive it. 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

St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604