ChadNet – no 187

ChadNet – no 187 – Sunday 22nd October 2023

ChadNet - the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull

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

Alan Smith
Alan Smith

There but for the grace of God

The theme of last week’s youth service was serving others.

We all have our own charities and good causes which we support, either directly or through church, work or school. At St Chad’s we support, amongst others, the Well food bank which provides essentials for people in need.

However, there’s a problem. 

With 24 hour rolling news, social media and begging letters in the post, we’re bombarded with stories of distress and deprivation. This has been even more predominant in the past couple of weeks with the war in the Middle East, and it can become overwhelming. So….

Who do we help, and how?

Well, that’s a personal decision. But there are two things these stories have in common:
    1. Whoever and wherever they are, these people are human beings with needs and feelings just like us, and
    2. Whatever the circumstances, it’s invariably not their fault,

If we’re dealt the wrong cards, any of us can be affected.

There but for the grace of God.

In our country we see poverty, homelessness, domestic abuse, mental and physical illness and more.

For overseas we can add natural disasters and war, as we have seen so graphically on our screens this week, and it’s always the innocent civilians and children who suffer most.

We see refugees trekking thousands of miles and crossing perilous seas to escape. They end up in so called hotels and barges for months on end. Better surely, they were processed quickly and humanely, then those eligible to stay can be free to work in order to support their families and contribute to the economy and society.

It’s a very complex issue and there are no easy answers but it’s not their fault they were born and live where they do. It takes great courage to up sticks and leave everything you know to save your family and seek a better and safer life. In their shoes wouldn’t we do the same? There but for the grace of God.

Those of us old enough will remember Max Bygraves, and he was well known for a song called ‘You Need Hands’.

Jesus isn’t on earth now, at least, not in a physical sense, so whatever we decide, it’s our hands that need to do the work.

The following poem is by St Teresa of Avila, called Christ has no body.

Christ has no body but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet
You are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours
No hands no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Alan Smith

(This is an edited version of the Pause for Thought which Alan gave at the Youth Service last Sunday)

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 22nd October – Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

At 10 am there will be aservice of Holy Communion including the baptism of Evie-May Jones, led by Revd Paul Brown, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

There is no evening service.

In the Parish Prayer Diary  we pray for: Village organisations.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for: The Church at Perton.

This week

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

Bellringing practice takes place on Monday at 7.45 pm. Anyone interested in finding out about ringing should contact Geoffrey Dann or any of the ringers.

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 12 noon Who’s for Lunch? is held in the Village Hall.

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

At 7 pm on Wednesday Choir Practice takes place in church. Anyone interested in joining the choir should contact any member of the choir.

Sunday 29th October – Last Sunday after Trinity

At 10 am there will be aservice of Holy Communion, led by Revd Paul Brown, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

At 6.30 pm the All Souls Memorial Service, led by Iain Coleman, will be held in church. All are welcome. During the service we will remember by name all those for whom funerals have been held in the last 2 years and those whose names are in the Memorial Book who have died within the last 6 years. There is a list at the back of church to allow the addition of other names. The list will be removed on Thursday 26th October. Please ensure any names are placed on the list before that date.

In the Parish Prayer Diary  we pray for: those who work in care homes or care for people in their own homes.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for: All Saints, Trysull.

Scarecrow Calendar

Orders are being taken for the Pattingham Scarecrow Festival Calendar for 2024. 

  • A4 spiral bound with hanger …
  • Monthly pages with write-in panels for each day …
  • Lots of favourite scarecrow photos …
  • Just £10 each with envelope.

Order forms are available from the church or by phoning Mike Coope on 01902 700426 or email  to or downloaded from <https://www.pattinghamscarecrowfestival.org/>

Link to Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal

Link to Hope

There is only one more week for the shoebox appeal. Details were in previous editions of ChadNet and can also be found on the Link to Hope website at <https://linktohope.co.uk/shoebox-appeal-2023/> and on the church website at <https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/news-and-events/shoe-box-appeal-2023/> and on the leaflets at the back of the church.

 I ask that these boxes are brought to me, or left at the back of church, by Sunday 29th October – to allow me time to take them to the collection point.

Barbara Tritton
17 High Street, Pattingham
(01902 700065)
email –

Dementia Friendly Church

Weekly Prayer

Becoming Dementia Friendly Church 2023-24

Loving God, you have been more patient with me and with humanity than we could ever expect or deserve.  Grant me the same loving patience.  Let me view the failing memory with the same compassion as I would a greater difficulty in walking.  Help me to be supportive, not demanding.  School me to control my voice, so that I answer the seventh identical question as sympathetically as I did the first.  May I never be guilty of sounding as though this failure of memory is the fault of the one I love.  And when I fail, continue to be patient with 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 15th and 29th October.

Philippa Ciceley Bramall – 15th October 2017
Doris Pugh – 16th October 1987
Lilian Mary Monckton – 17th October 1982
June Hazel Wilcox – 17th October 2009
Thomas Stanley Inett – 18th October 1992
Gillian Bloomfield – 18th October 2003
David Thornton – 20th October 1997
Hazel Jeanette Frost – 20th October 2004
Violet May Watkins – 21st October 1977
Margaret Gosling – 21st October 2012
John Robert (Bob) Pinches – 21st October 2013
Mary Margaret Parker – 23rd October 1994
Derek William Littleford – 24th October 1998
Ian Beavis Hall – 25th October 1999
James Albert Monckton – 26th October 1962
Dennis Selby – 26th October 1981
Norman Tooth – 26th October 1995
Gordon Roy Pymer – 26th October 2011
Christopher David Wilde – 28th October 2008
Janet Eileen Owen – 28th October 2016
Paul James Potts – 28th October 2019
Marion Katie Potts – 29th October 1987

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“.

ChadNet

This bulletin is sent to those who have requested it. We now have 123 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