ChadNet – no 309

ChadNet – no 309 – Sunday 22nd February 2026

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

Keith Barnett

Reverend Merry’s article in the February edition of Parish News entitled “Love“ struck a chord with me, when she said “love is a deliberate act of choosing to …… forgive”.

I say “struck a chord” because I have been much exercised of late, given the war and hatred-ridden state of our world, to understand what must be one of, if not the most, difficult of Jesus’ dicta to obey; in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 v 44) “love your enemies”.

So, how to love the grooming gangs of Rochdale? Vladimir Putin wanting to destroy Ukraine? The Ayatollah who wants to wipe the Jewish people from the face of the earth?

In the same sermon (though I take this slightly out of context) Jesus adds “pray for them”. Therefore, in prayer I have to ask that God, in some way, will touch the hearts of these people so that, for example, the Russian and North Korean leaders will want their legacies to be men of peace rather than war, thereby benefitting their nations, by turning the billions now spent on armaments (swords into ploughshares), into their country’s infrastructure and feeding their people, many of whom are now starving.

But if we are all God’s children and if God loves those who to us are pariahs, so should we – even if it is so difficult.

I would be very interested to know how fellow members of St Chad’s Church approach this problem.

Keith Barnett

(As always this View is the personal view of the author.)

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

The Vicar’s post is half time so Merry will not be working every day. Her usual working days are Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday but this is subject to change. Her phone number is 07486 066065 and her email address is  When she is not working she will not normally answer the phone, listen to messages or respond to emails. 

Calls to  the old phone number (01902 700257) are forwarded to Merry’s phone.

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 

Sunday 22nd February – First Sunday of Lent

At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion, led by Revd Allen Roberts, 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 Iain Coleman, in church.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Dartmouth Avenue, Marlbrook Lane, Chesterton Road, West End Gardens, Copley Lane.

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

This week

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

There is NO Prayers for Peace in church this week. It is now being held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. On those Tuesdays when the group is not meeting in church it will be possible for those who wish to do so to come into church to offer their own prayers (although those who do so should take care if it is dark by then). Others may wish to pause and say a prayer of their own at that time.

On Wednesday at 10.00 am there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer, led by the vicar, 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.

At 2.30 pm on Wednesday the funeral of Barbara Ann Bedson takes place in church.

At 6 pm on Wednesday 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 the first session of the Lent Course – An Unlikely Lent Exploring Faith in Unexpected Places – takes place in church. Tea and coffee will be provided. Arrangements will be made for future sessions which will take place at different days and times in people’s homes.

There will be no choir practice this week.  On Thursday at 12.30 pm there is a Lent Lunch at the home of Sue Riches. If you are attending please sign up on the sheet at the back of the church.

Sunday 1st March – Second Sunday of Lent

At 10 am there will be a Family Service, led by Iain Coleman, in church. It will be followed by a short service of Holy Communion, led by the Vicar. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

At 12 noon the Baptism of Phoebe May Smith takes place in church.

In the afternoon the PCC meets for an Awayday reviewing the Mission Action Plan.

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:
All Saints Trysull.

Memory Walk

The St Chad’s Memory Walk will take place on Sunday 12th April at 2.00 pm. This will be in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society and is part of our commitment to Becoming a Dementia  Church. 

Save the date. More details will follow.

March Parish News Magazine

You will be aware that Mike Moss, the editor of the magazine, died last Sunday. The March edition of the magazine will not be published. Instead a leaflet indicating that and including a message from the Vicar and Vice-Chair of the PCC will be delivered to those who normally receive the magazine.

Crafts and Pancakes!

Over 100 adults and children enjoyed a time of fun and fellowship at the Crafts & Pancakes event in church on Shrove Tuesday. It was a joyful occasion with the children creating designs for the church Easter card, whilst enjoying food and drink, not to mention Merry’s energetic leading the singing!

In a very close contest, the winning design was by Summer, with Dottie as runner up and Liv third. Congratulations to Summer whose design will appear on the front cover of the card.

All three are invited to the Youth Service at 10 am on Mothering Sunday (15th March) to collect their prize, plus all other entrants who can collect their artwork on the same day and receive a small gift for their efforts.

Photographs are on the church website at <https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/news-and-events/crafts-and-pancakes/>

It may be that not all those who attended are aware of the date to collect their artwork and prizes so please spread to the word to any of them you may know.

Ukraine Refugee Centre

Mary Hayward received the following email from the Ukraine Refugee Centre after her daughter, Anna, delivered the donations last week. Anna also took some donations from Wild Zoo.

Dear Mary & Caroline

Thank you both very much for the donations from St Chad’s Church, Pattingham & Wild Zoological Park which Anna dropped off at the Razom Welcome Centre for Ukrainian Refugees on Friday the 13th of February.

As Anna saw on Friday, we were very busy, but our volunteers did manage to start sorting your donations after Anna had left. Many thanks again for your ongoing support.
Greg

 If you have anything you wish to donate please contact Mary at or 01902 700744 or in Church.

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 connect via their website, where you can sign up to the newsletter and link to their Social Media pages: <www.thewellwolverhampton.co.uk>

Dementia Friendly Church

Weekly Prayer 

Becoming Dementia Friendly Church 2024-25

God of Laughter

I thank you that a diagnosis of dementia is not one of instant tragedy.  I bless you for all the happy times we have shared in the past.  Let me bring them to life again for the one I love.  Let me create new days of enjoyment.
Give me the generosity of heart to invite others into our situation.  Let the two of us show them that it is possible to live happily with dementia.  Let them hear us laugh together.
Ever-patient Father, may forgetfulness and failings not be a cause for censure but for affectionate tolerance.  We both have a lot of adjusting to do, but with your grace we can do this together.
You offer us boundless love.  Let the one I care for be assured of my love and acceptance.  Grant us  more good days together.
Laugh with us.
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 15th February and 1st March.

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
Kathleen Simpson – 23rd February 1999
Teresa Margaret Richards – 23rd February 2002
Iris Freda Thomas – 25th February 2004
Thomas Lockley – 26th February 1974
John Barry Hebditch – 26th February 1998
Simon Andrew Mackriel – 27th February 2019
Lily Bates – 28th February 1997
Jocelyn Ida Alice Mayne – 28th February 1999
James Andrew Potts – 28th February 2007
Andrew Woodroffe – 1st March 1976

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.

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 155 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