ChadNet – no 226 – Sunday 21st July 2024
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 – Henry Ibberson
- Sunday 21st July -Eighth Sunday after Trinity
- This week
- Sunday 28th July – Ninth Sunday after Trinity
- The Well Foodbank
- Fete – provisional result
- Dementia Friendly Church – weekly prayer
- From the Memorial Book
- Giving to the Church
View from the Pews
Frustrations
It’s so good to see so many folk taking the opportunity to write in this Chadnet column, where over the past 3 years and over 200 editions, as Geoffrey reminded us a week or two ago, we have seen such a wonderful variety of observations, fascinating insights, personal comments and reflections. If you haven’t already put forward a View from the Pew, or even if you have, and feel moved or prompted in any way to share your own thoughts and reflections, please don’t hesitate. Do send them in, either directly to Geoffrey () or to me () so that we always have a bank of Views upon which we can draw for each weekly edition. It’s always best to avoid anything too political or contentious, as this is certainly not the forum for that, but it can be whatever strikes you – it doesn’t have to have a particularly religious or spiritual dimension, though that is always to be welcomed – rather something about which you feel strongly, or which touches you in some way or another.
Which brings me to my, entirely secular, thought for this VFTP! Am I alone in feeling utterly frustrated by what one might be forgiven for thinking is the 2024 version of “The Emperor’s new Clothes”? It seems to me that many are totally oblivious to the blindingly obvious facts of life (and you know what I mean here). There is also this drive to seek to re-write history (for what particular reason is often indiscernible) and here the Church also seems to have been caught up in Group Think (oops – this might be straying into a political arena – forgive me!) Frustrations too with the allegedly cost efficient, scaled-down commercial operations, which mean that it is invariably impossible to speak to a human and those awfully clever computer systems, so polite in their apologies for keeping us waiting, with their mind-numbing muzak, never actually solve our problems either. The ‘helpful’ Chat boxes online – where one is connected to ‘personal assistants’ with delightful names like Fiona and Darren, who respond to our request for a resolution of whatever problem we may have, with “let me have a look into this for you” – only to return, after our having watched some dots churning for a few minutes, with the teeth-clenching information that “we are unable to find records of your transaction, please ring …….”!
And don’t get me started on those endless acronyms! I can cope with NATO, UNICEF, SHAPE and even ASLEF, but I do struggle a bit with LGBTQ+ (remind me what the + is for?) and those others which keep appearing in our newspaper articles; when describing government initiatives and the activities of QUANGOS (I’ve managed to master that one) and when one has to keep referring back to the beginning of the article to remind oneself of what on earth, whoever it is who’s being referred to, is talking about.
Perhaps I’m getting old – as a matter of fact I am. But I was delighted to find some comfort in a recent newspaper article entitled “Text-speak for the over 50’s“, which chimed with some of the views on acronyms I have expressed above – and here I quote:
“The young have their own shorthand for text messaging like LOL (Laugh Out Loud) – and OMG (Oh My Gosh). So former MEP David Campbell-Bannerman, known as DCB, has posted some timely text-speak for the busy over 50’s. ATD is sent by someone At The Doctor; BFF means that they are at their Best Friend’s Funeral; while BTW is a request to Bring The Wheelchair. FWIW is Forgot Where I Was, GGPBL is Gotta Go,Pacemaker Battery Low, and TFT is Texting From Toilet. NAW – Need A Wee – is also popular. I think it’s time to PKO (Put Kettle On)”
I found that article rather reassuring and refreshing, allowing me to come up with an acronym of my own – WHTCS (Whatever Happened To Common Sense). Try it for yourself, it will help to keep you sane.
Other contributors have been so much better than me in putting forward their profound and meaningful thoughts and views, on a much higher plane than mine. But perhaps an important note upon which to finish this, somewhat frivolous, contribution, might be the only acronym really worth holding onto – that is GAWU (God’s Always With Us).
Henry Ibberson
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 afternoon 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 21st July – Eighth 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 Sue Watson, to which you are all most welcome. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.
In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Orchard Close, Damson Park, Highgate Court.
In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Paul, Pendeford.
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 Paul Brown, 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.
There is NO Pattingham Shower Singers this week. They are taking their summer break and will next meet on 4th September.
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 28th July – Ninth Sunday after Trinity
At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion, led by Revd Paul Brown, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.
At 6.30 pm there will be a Service in the Iona style, led by Ken Scott, in church.
In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Windsor Road. Greenway Gardens, Sandringham Road, Braemar Road.
In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Anne, Lower Penn.
The Well – the Wolverhampton Food Bank
When we think about food and economic poverty, the first thing that may come to mind is inner city deprivation, but this is not always the case. The Well also helps those locally in rural poverty. Last month a pallet of food was donated to Brewood Middle School; this is what they had to say:
‘We would like to say a huge thank you for your very kind and generous donation of food…it has already been split into boxes and will go out to our families over the next few days. We cannot thank you enough. We would like to pass on our thanks to all concerned at the Well.’
We are extremely grateful for all donations. If you are looking for ideas on what to donate to The Well at the moment, the following are in short supply:
• UHT Milk
• Male Toiletries
• Tinned Vegetables
• Pasta Sachets
• Rice Pudding
• Custard
At The Well we take our inspiration from Jesus Himself. We look back at His life and, even though He was the Son of God, His mission on earth was ‘to serve’, not ’to be served’.
As you think about how you might support The Well, maybe your ‘service’ is to hold us regularly in your prayers, maybe it is to support us financially if you are able, maybe to donate some food or encourage those around you to do so, or maybe it is to offer some of your time to The Well.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Pattingham Village Fete
The preliminary figures for the proceeds from the Fete show an estimated net proceeds of £5,573.20. There is some other income to be included and there may be other expenses to be taken into account.
The breakdown for the stalls is:
Gates and Bags – £1,100.66
Bottle Stall – £476.50
Refreshments – £589.56
Guess the Teddy/Sweets – £72.40
Play your cards right – £49.00
Pimm’s & Prosecco – £268.46
Coconut / Tin Can Alley – £214.00
Plants – £293.50
Hook a Duck – £158.00
Football/Beat the Keeper – £62.29
Raffle – £1,664.00
Competitions – £56.50
Guess the cake weight – £50.00
Auction – £94.00
Rodeo Pig – £206.00
Football Competition – £100.00
Art Auction – TBA
Other income was:
Personal donations – £140.00
Programme Adverts – £90.00
Commercial Stall Fees – £583.00
Raffle Cash Prizes donated – £150.00
Estimated total income – £6,417.87
Estimated expenses – £844.67
Estimated net proceeds: – £5,573.20
The PCC would like to thank all who worked so hard to achieve this fabulous result. Also, a big thank you to the various sponsors of the event, notably the Mercers and Berriman Eaton, and everybody who turned up on the day to help, including the ATC.
Dementia Friendly Church
Weekly Prayer
O Lord, only you know the battles we face,
the tears we shed.
Help us to live this and every day under the
shadow of your wing.
Give us patience to forebear whatever life
brings us. Courage to face it head on, strength
to keep moving forward, laughter to enjoy
ourselves and above all your love to
encompass it.
Amen
(Prayer written by Linda Gillion, a guide at the Cathedral, for Dementia Action Week Prayers 2024)
If you would like to suggest (or write) a prayer for inclusion in this series please let Tracey Williams, our Dementia Friendly Church Co-ordinator, know.
From the Memorial Book
Those whose anniversaries occur between 14th and 28th July.
Jennifer Anne Baxter – 14th July 2007
Henry Charles Peever – 15th July 1991
Charles Herbert James Gosling – 16th July 1989
Florence Gladys Roberts – 17th July 1998
George Derek Thomason – 21st July 1990
Agnes Victoria Louise Fellows – 23rd July 1992
John Walker – 23rd July 2023
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
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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604