ChadNet – no 19

ChadNet – no 19 – Sunday 2nd August 2020

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

Welcome to the 19th edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.


The introductions to previous editions of ChadNet have been provided by the Vicar under the title “View from the Vicarage”. This week we begin a series of introductions provided by members of the Parochial Church Council under the title “View from the Pews”.


View from the Pews:

Ken Scott

As most of you will know Maureen has gone off for 2 weeks holiday so others will be filling in the slot on ChadNet which she usually does. This week it is my turn and so I am starting from where she left off last time.

In the last ChadNet she referred to the Comet Neowise which has been visible in our skies this month. I picked up on this by hearing a phrase on the news and it made me sit up and take notice. The phrase was “the next time it will be visible will be in 7000 years and it is 70 million miles away in space”. So that time interval will be about as long as the recorded history of humans on the planet. It brings home the immensity of the universe we live in quite starkly.

We have all got a bit inward looking over the last 4 months, understandably, as we worry about contracting a potentially fatal disease. Our own lives and those of our loved ones seem all important, which is a normal human response to the threat. But we exist in what some scientists now think is an infinite universe (that’s a very hard idea to get your head around) and are just minute beings in time and space.

Our Christian faith reassures us however, this that we are not an accident, nor is the world in which we live, there is a plan, even if we cannot see it. Paul says in Romans chapter 1 “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse”.

The great truth here is that the God who made this amazing world in all its infinite variety and complexity, cares for us mortals. We don’t always deserve it, but he does and sending his Son to live and die for us is the evidence for that. So, take a moment to go outside at night and marvel at what God has made and then say thank you for caring for me, a tiny part of your creation. That will help us to look beyond our own very limited vision of the world. As we try to slowly emerge from lockdown, we can start to expand our horizons a bit beyond our own four walls and begin to enjoy again the world we live in.

Keep well this week .

Ken Scott


Face coverings in church

The government has announced that the wearing of face coverings will be mandatory in places of worship from next week. In the meantime, the Church of England continues strongly to advise that face coverings should be worn by all those attending a place of worship, including ministers, worshippers, staff, volunteers, contractors and visitors, where there may be other people present; remembering that they are mainly intended to protect other people, not the wearer, from coronavirus (COVID-19) and that they are not a replacement for physical distancing and regular hand washing.


Contacts

While Maureen is away the Vicarage phone (01902 700257) is diverted to a Churchwarden or the Reader.

Contact details for the church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website.

Communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to


Sunday 2nd August – 8th Sunday after Trinity

The Worship on the Web service will be led by Debbie Francis. The service is based around the theme of a rainbow and what it means to us. For those in church who are not allowed to sing there will be at least one hymn where they can join in with the actions. As usual the music will be provided by Greg and the virtual choir. It will be screened in church as the main part of the service at 10 am.
The Worship on the Web service will also be available as usual on the Worship on the Web page of the website from 10 am. 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. The collect and readings for the Eucharist, which would normally be on the pewsheet, are available on the website.


During the week Ken will stream Morning Prayer at 8.30 am on Facebook Live. There will be no Compline while Maureen is away.

The church will be open for private prayer from 2.30 to 4.30 pm on Tuesday and Friday. It will also be open on Friday if there is a volunteer to sit in church and act as steward. If anyone would like to volunteer please contact Gena.


Sunday 9th August – 9th Sunday after Trinity

The Worship on the Web service will be led by the Youth Group. The theme will be about being bold and strong in faith. It will be screened in church as the main part of the service at 10 am. It will also 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.


Century Club

The Century Club draw took place on Monday 27th July. The winners were:

  • 1st prize – £150 – Terry Clayton (ball 39)
  • 2nd prize – £100 – Gladys Jones (ball 2)
  • 3rd prize – £50 – Bob Cheetham (ball 88)

Congratulations to all of them.

If you would like to join the Century Club with a chance to win in a future draw contact Alan Smith on 07757 688518.


Parish Magazine

We are all pleased to see the return of the Parish News. The copy date for the September issue is this Wednesday – 5th August. Material for inclusion should be should be sent to the editor, Mike Moss, at

The first edition of the Pattingham and Patshull Parish Magazine was published in January 1869. Scanned copies of the magazines from 1869 to 1880 are now available on the church website at https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/parish-news-magazine/parish-magazine-history/


From the Memorial Book

Those whose anniversaries occur between 26th July and 9th August.

Matthew Robinson – 30th July 2008
Colin George Hartley – 1st August 2008
Ellen Hayhurst – 2nd August 2007
Pauline Ann Moore – 2nd August 2011
Henry Parton – 4th August 1980
William Pugh – 4th August 1995
Phillippa Bullock Reeves – 5th August 2003
Christine Harley – 5th August 2013
Hilda Cecilia Whitty – 8th August 1993
Patricia Mabel Fildes – 8th August 1995

You can see the pages of the Memorial Book for the second half of the year on the Memorial Book Online page of the Church website.


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.

The Daily Hope phone line from the Church of England on 0800 804 8044 is also available. It has been announced that this will continue beyond lockdown and has now received 173,000 calls from over 37,000 people – with calls topping more than two million minutes. (As a matter of interest our phone line has received 195 calls totalling over 3,000 minutes. Ours will also continue as long as it is needed.)


Virtual Sunday School

In the absence of our own Sunday School we encourage children and families to look at the Virtual Sunday School YouTube channel. A new Sunday School video comes out each Saturday. This week’s is Mistakes & Outtakes – Doing Your BEST for God!

They can all be found on the Sunday School on the Web page of our website as well as on YouTube.

This week – from 3rd to 7th August – they are running a Virtual Holiday Club. There are details on this video – Virtual Holiday Club – All you need to know! – and on the Info sheet at https://www.virtualsundayschooluk.com/pages/holiday-club-info.


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.

Maureen often shares inspirational posts on the Church Facebook page so it is worth looking at that from time to time.

The Lichfield Diocese Prayer Diary has been reshaped to encourage wider use and reflect the new Diocesan focus on discipleship, vocation and evangelism. It can be found at https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/ourfaith/prayer_diary/

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 81 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

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

In the current circumstances 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.

As we are now starting to hold services again it is possible to put money in the plate again. However with the current problems surrounding handling cash we would prefer that you consider one of the other ways of giving your offertory if you can. 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 they are able to come to a service.

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.

You can also now give by text.
Text PATT 5 to 70085 to donate £5 – texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.

You can donate any number of pounds between £1 and £20. Just replace the 5 by the amount you want to give.

For a regular monthly donation text PATTREG 5 to 70085 to donate £5 per month – texts cost £5 plus two standard rate messages.Again you can donate any number of pounds between £1 and £20. Just replace the 5 by the monthly amount you want to give. Donors receive a receipt message every time they donate – this tells them how to cancel their donation should they wish – which is by texting STOP to 70085 at any time.


Changes due to the current situation

Although the church building is closed for public worship the church community remains active. Further details can be found on the church website. There is an update page which gives more information.

  • The 2020 Scarecrow Festival has been postponed to 2021.
  • This year’s Holiday Club has been cancelled.
  • The Who’s for Lunch lunches are suspended for the time being.

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