ChadNet – no 265

ChadNet – no 265 – Sunday 20th April 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:

Note: Monday is the deadline for receipt of applications for the Church Electoral Roll. See below for more information.

View from the Pews

Ken and Anne Scott

Reflections on Retirement

Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said the clue to timing retirement is to “know how much is enough”. I feel I have reached that point in my ministry!

It seems a long time since that day in June 1980 when I was first licensed at Lichfield Cathedral by the then bishop, Kenneth Skelton. How much has changed in all those years personally, as a family, in the world and in the church. 

I realised early on that the role of Lay Readers, or better I think “Lay Ministers”, in the Church is tremendously varied; it can involve preaching, teaching, visiting, service taking, organising, and probably most important of all listening to the concerns of both the congregation and the clergy.

I spent the first five years as a Reader in St. Jude’s on the Tettenhall Road, a city parish with a lively mixed congregation, plenty of young people and a thriving Sunday School.

Then it was a long stint of 25 years at Christ Church, Tettenhall Wood, a suburban parish. Working with three Team Rectors over those years and also taking services at the Church of the Good Shepherd Castlecroft and the Church at Perton. Different congregations and quite different clergy and different roles for the Reader.  You must learn to be adaptable and how to “fill in the gaps”.

Professional retirement led to the move to Pattingham in 2009 and so duties began at St. Chad’s. Another new team to work with, led by the vicar Maureen Hobbs and with Paul Snape, whom I had known for a long time in Tettenhall, and who was now ordained. A very different parish to the first two, a mixture of a rural farming community, commuting workers and a large, retired population. It has been a very rewarding, if at times challenging, sixteen years, and of course it became more demanding during the nearly four years of interregnum. I tried to retire at the same time as Maureen, but it became apparent that that left too many gaps. 

It has been a privilege to serve alongside such able wardens and PCC members and to see the Church not only survive Covid but continue to develop and grow after it.

One of the great privileges of being a Reader is the opportunity to help people at the time of their greatest need and so I have appreciated being asked to conduct the funerals of Church stalwarts such as Gladys Jones, Alan Stubbs, Liz Sampson, Kath James, David Challinor, Richard Stockall and Rev. Paul Snape. 

None of this of course would have been possible without the constant backing of Anne my greatest supporter and always honest critic.

The Church is I feel, thanks to the efforts of many people over these four years, in a strong position to welcome our new vicar, Rev. Merry Smith and continue to move forward under her guidance.

So, we come to Easter 2025, always a time of sad endings on Good Friday but wonderful new beginnings on Sunday. St Chad’s has been very kind to both Anne and me over these past years and it is ready for new things, as are we. We will still be here, God willing, but in another role.

May God’s blessing be on all the kind people of St Chad’s individually and collectively this Easter and beyond. 

Ken Scott

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 20th April – Easter Day

At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion for Easter Day, led by Revd Sue Watson with contributions from the Youth Group, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

At 6.30 pm there will be a Songs of Praise Service, led by Ken Scott, in church. This will be Ken Scott’s last service as a Reader and everyone is welcome to come to mark this occasion. Celebratory refreshments will be available after the service.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Westbeech Road, College Farm Close, Patshull Road.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
Easter Sunday services.

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 Sue Watson, 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. They are taking a break over Easter and will next meet on 30th April.

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 27th April – Second Sunday of Easter

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.

There is no evening service this week.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Chad’s School and the other schools attended by children in the parish.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
Christ Church, Tettenhall Wood.

Church Electoral Roll

This Monday (21st April) is the deadline for the receipt of completed electoral roll forms. Only those whose forms are received by the deadline will be eligible for election to the PCC or to vote at the annual meeting.

Forms are available at the back of the church and can be downloaded from the website. Please ensure that you complete the form fully, including your name and address and ticking the correct boxes, and sign it.

More information is on the church website at <https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/church-electoral-roll/> and in the March Parish News magazine.

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

Dear Lord,
We pray for all affected by dementia.
In this difficult journey grant hope, comfort,
Peace and strength to everyone.
Amen 

(Dementia  Action Week Prayers 2024 – prayer written by a Brownie, contributed by Ivy Leese, Brownie leader at St Mary & St Chad, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent)

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 13th and 27th April.

Sally Anne James – 13th April 2018
Christine Ann Trubshaw – 16th April 2000
Stuart Hammersley – 19th April 1991
Keith Campbell Harris – 19th April 2012
Elizabeth Anne Thomason – 20th April 2008
Graham Sheldon – 21st April 1996
Alan Coverley Robinson – 21st April 2003
Archie Proctor – 23rd April 2009
Betty Winifred Lovering – 23rd April 2012
Emily Hannah O’Byrne – 23rd April 2020
Annie Smith – 25th April 1962
Bob Frost – 25th April 2008
Roger Douglas Fildes – 26th April 1965
Royston Granville Green – 26th April 2008
John Stanley Scriven – 27th April 1954
Cliff Fletcher – 27th April 2013

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 140 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