ChadNet – no 256

ChadNet – no 256 – Sunday 16th February 2025

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

Philip Sims

We have been in interregnum for almost four years and, interestingly, we have replaced our February PCC meeting with a review of our structure, our focus and how our Church is coping with interregnum and what we should be doing differently.

This was in the diary before the news came through that we had received two applications for the vacant role of Vicar of our Parish. Was this good management or is it God’s way of telling us that He has had enough of interregnum and wants some serious leadership in Pattingham? Either way, we are of course all delighted that our Church has attracted two very good candidates to the role and we hope that one of them will be particularly suited to what we have waiting for them here in Pattingham.

I have used this column in the past to express my view that our time in interregnum has been more fruitful than most, because of the undoubted talent we have within our congregation. Which other parish has Readers of the same quality as ours? Which other parish has Wardens as committed and diligent as ours? Which other parish can turn to a youth group with the leadership and talent as ours? These are colleagues who take a lead in our services each week but they are supported by a very long list of outstanding, capable and committed people who undertake a thousand and one tasks which ensure the success of everything we do. You all know who you are and thank you!

Despite being told frequently that we don’t need a Vicar, I have never subscribed to that view. We need a spiritual leader and whilst we can do what laity does, we need that spiritual dimension, particularly if we are to further grow our worshipping community. This is what I hope we can add to what we have been doing for the last four years. That is not to say that we can then cease what we have been doing, because there is surely even more to be achieved once we have a Vicar on board and we can work together.

Let us all pray earnestly that we are able to appoint the right person and that we will be receptive to God’s guidance. We have been incredibly blessed over the last four years and I am sure that God will not abandon us at this stage of our recruitment process. Let us all pray therefore for His continued prompting, so that we are left in no doubt as to which candidate it is that should lead us into an exciting future.

Philip Sims
PCC Chair

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 16th February – Third Sunday before Lent

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:
Great Moor Road
Nurton Brook, Nurton Bank, Warstone Hill Road, Hollies Lane.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
Deanery Synod.

This week

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

On Monday evening there is a PCC meeting in church.

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.

There is NO Pattingham Shower Singers this week as it is half term. It will resume next week.

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

Sunday 23rd February – Second Sunday before Lent

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

At 6.30 pm there will be a Service of Evensong, led by Ken Scott, in church.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for:
Those who are in residential care.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Aidan Penn Fields.

Lent

On Ash Wednesday, which is on 5th March, there will be services of Holy Communion at 10 am and at 7.30 pm at both of which Imposition of Ashes will be available for those who want it.

There will be a Lent Lunch at Tettenhall Wood United Reformed Church on Mount Road on Saturday 8th March from 12 to 2 pm.

A Lent Lunch will be held at the home of Sue Riches at 12.30 pm on Thursday 27th March.

If anyone else would like to volunteer to host a Lent lunch please contact the churchwardens.

Easter cards

Easter Art Competition to create the St Chad’s Church Easter Card Front cover …

In 2024, the St Chad’s Church Christmas card featured the winning entry from the very successful children’s painting competition on the front of the card, so we have decided to repeat the competition to find the Easter Card front cover, but to extend it and encourage entries from everybody.

This Easter card from the church is delivered to every house in the parish, with the front of the card having the winning entry with Easter greeting. We are seeking an artwork, collage or other image, with the winning entry being scanned and featured on the front of the card, which will be A4 folded to form an A5 front.

Calling all local artists! Why not have a go? It doesn’t have to be a painting… You can express yourself in your favourite art form.

Full details are on the church website at <https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/easter-card-competition-2025/> from which the entry form can be downloaded.

Flyers with details and entry forms are at the back of the church and can also be downloaded from the website.

The competition is open to anyone. The closing date is Sunday 2nd March.

Please spread the word to anyone you may feel would be interested.

Should you have any queries about this competition, please contact Alan Smith – Phone: 07757 688518 (leave message, if no answer) – Email:

Pattingham Past & Present – Saturday 15th March

We are organising our final action for this year’s Dementia Friendly Church Certificate. 

On Saturday 15th March 2025 at 3 pm at St. Chad’s Church all are welcome to attend “Pattingham Past & Present”, a presentation of photos and facts/stories together with light refreshments to chat and reminisce.

If you have any items or photos that you think would be of interest, I would be most grateful.  

Tracey Williams
Dementia Friendly Church Co-ordinator
07804039330 or

The Well – the Wolverhampton Food Bank

The Well

The Well continues to need our donations and prayers. The box remains at the rear of the church for donations of food and toiletries and the wishing well for donations of cash.

Thank you for your generosity. If you wish to know more about the work of The Well, or would like to know how you can support it in other ways, do look at their website <www.thewellwolverhampton.co.uk>

Dementia Friendly Church

Weekly Prayer

Becoming Dementia Friendly Church 2024-25

God Who Has Made The Church One Family

You went out of your way to include those on the edges of society.  May our doors and our hearts be open to all.  Grant us the insight to see when one of our members is increasingly in need of help.  Let us be quick to ask what we can do and faithful in offering support.
Give us the wisdom to see the person with dementia as you see them: as a unique individual, valued and loved.  Let us not write them off because they have a disability.  Show us the many ways in which they can still be part of our community, the avenues of service still open to them.  Guide us to show them new ways in which they can be valued.
May we make time in our busy lives to include them and assure them of our continued love.
Teach us to be a dementia friendly church.
Amen

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

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 9th and 23rd February.

Keith William Bishop – 9th February 2022
James Christopher Maclean – 11th February 2009
Margaret Watton – 11th February 2020
Ida Annie Knight – 13th February 2002
Patrick Curtis – 14th February 1959
Harold Taylor – 14th February 1976
William Stanley Smith – 15th February 1966
Alfred Ernest Davis – 15th February 2004
Stanley Frederick Chaplin – 15th February 2016
Alan Sadler – 16th February 1998
Florence Irene Steele – 16th February 2003
Pauline Jones – 18th February 2011
Mary Stubbs – 19th February 2019
Clive Brough – 20th February 1979
Lillian (Marg) Nicholls – 20th February 2007
Joseph Ernest Penny – 20th February 2009
Thomas James Heath – 20th February 2017
Muriel Noreen Swift – 21st February 1999
Victor James Jordan – 22nd February 2009
Tom Knight – 23rd February 1997

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 139 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