ChadNet – no 45 – Sunday 31st January 2021
Welcome to this week’s edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.
There will be no services in church for the time being but the church will remain open for private prayer and Worship on the Web will continue online.
As we are still not able to meet in church we are restarting the Zoom coffee on Sunday morning from 11 am.
This week’s Virtual Sunday School is a quiz. Whilst it is obviously aimed at children if you enjoy quizes it may be worth a look. Find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/rgNYe-mqn9E
View from the Pews
Candlemas brings Light and Hope.
Just under a year ago we came through Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, rather bleary eyed, to be met with our first sight of face masks. What had happened since we went away? It soon became all too clear and here we are a year on still battling with the unseen but deadly virus.
Now it might seem perverse in the week when tragically the country has passed the 100,000 deaths and there are over 30,000 people in hospital, to believe there is hope of better days coming.
Candlemas is on the 2nd February, next Tuesday, and traditionally it is a time for the celebration of light and hope.
So not forgetting the sadness and loss, what are the signs of a brighter future?
Well, the worst of winter is hopefully passed; we are a month beyond the shortest day, snowdrops are out, and the infection rate is slowing or even falling. And best of all we are getting vaccinated! By now many of Pattingham’s “golden oldies” have had at least one dose of vaccine and some have had two.
We complain about those who govern our country quite a lot and often justifiably, but the achievement of getting vaccines developed, produced, delivered and into over 7 million arms in such a short time is truly amazing. That is surely something to give thanks for.
The science behind this achievement is awe inspiring. And our hospitals are coping, although under the most severe pressure. We can give thanks for the enormous dedication of the staff who run them.
Across the Atlantic there was another sign of hope as some form of collective sanity returned to our closest ally. And it was done acknowledging the importance of God in the affairs of mankind.
At Candlemas we think about light and often refer to Jesus’ words in John chapter 8. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life”. That is a great privilege for those who try to follow Jesus day by day, even when the way seems very dark and difficult. It also brings the responsibility of trying to pass some of that light on to others.
I think we have learned a lot during this year about our world, our country, our neighbours, our nearest and dearest and ourselves. Hopefully also about our Christian faith. Tested and tried it has been, but it is still there as a source of hope.
Watching the Inauguration in Washington last week, it was impossible not to be impressed by the hope in the poem of 22-year-old Amanda Gorman. I finish with two extracts from it for you to consider this week.
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
.That even as we hurt, we hoped.
That even as we tired, we tried.
Scripture tells us to envision that everyone
shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
and no one shall make them afraid.
Every blessing in the coming days and weeks ahead, as the Light brings hope and new life in many different ways.
Ken Scott
Contacts
Maureen can be contacted by phone, text or email. (01902 700257 – 07812 805371 – )
Contact details for other church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website. Communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to
Sunday 31st January – 4th Sunday of Epiphany
There will be no service in church. The Worship on the Web service is a Family Service led by Rob Colin-Stokes. It will be on the Worship on the Web page of the website from 10.00 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.
Join Maureen and other members of the congregation for a chat and a virtual cup of tea or coffee over Zoom from 11 o’clock. [The invitation to the Zoom meeting is only included in the edition of ChadNet which is emailed to subscribers.] You can join at any time up until 11.30 am.
During January the bishops are providing sermons for parishes to use. This week’s preacher is the Episcopal Vicar for Stafford Area (Matthew Parker, who will in due course be consecrated as Bishop of Stafford). The sermon can be found on YouTube at https://youtu.be/8N2pf0N_pVc
The collect and readings for the Eucharist, which would normally be on the pewsheet, are available on the website.
This week
During the week Maureen (or occasionally Ken) will stream Morning Prayer and Compline (Night Prayer) on Facebook Live. Morning Prayer will be at 8.30 am and Compline will be at 9.30 pm (there will be no Compline on Friday).
The church will be open for private prayer every day. The times may vary depending when the keyholders are able to open and close the church. Look out for the “church open” sign outside the porch. Please observe the instructions in the notice on the door, which include the need to wear a face covering, using hand sanitiser and not going into the church if someine else is already in there.There will be no service on Wednesday.
Sunday 7th February – 2nd Sunday before Lent
The Worship on the Web service will be a led by Maureen. It will be available 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 winners of the January Century Club draw were:
- 1st prize – £150 – Sue Penny (ball 65)
- 2nd prize – £100 – Rosemary Claxton (ball 64)
- 3rd prize – £50 – Richard and Lesley Stockall (ball 42)
Congratulations to all of them.
The Century Club has supported church finances for many years but of late has not achieved its aim of 100 members. The PCC readily acknowledges that personal finances are suffering in the same way that the church’s are in these difficult times. However, if you like the idea of having the chance of a win every month, as well as helping the church, why not sign up?
There are three monthly prizes of £150, £100 and £50 for an initial outlay of £60 per year or £5 per month whichever you prefer.
If you’re interested please contact Alan Smith on 07757 688518 or
Sale of pews
The PCC has been given permission to sell 9 free standing pews which are no longer required and is inviting sealed bids from those who are interesting in buying one or more of them. We are required to obtain a fair price for them and the Archdeacon has to approve the price before a sale can take place.
Full details of the pews and the process can be found on the church website at https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/pews-for-sale/
The closing date for bids is Monday 22nd February. Enquiries should be directed to Gena Richards on 01902 700188. Please note that in the article in the magazine Gena’s address is incorrect. It should be 10 Westbeech Road, Pattingham WV6 7AQ
From the Memorial Book
Those whose anniversaries occur between 24th January and 7th February.
Ivy Rhodes – 25th January 2001
George Lloyd – 27th January 2000
Rex Pellow – 27th January 2011
Walter James Matthews – 29th January 1988
Ethel Brough – 30th January 1979
Dorothy Eileen Cooper – 30th January 2020
Norman Bartlett – 31st January 2003
John Stuart Hague – 1st February 2010
Sean Peter Mark Lingford – 2nd February 1995
William Ritchie Farquharson – 2nd February 2007
William John Evans – 2nd February 2010
Gordon Kennedy Morrison – 2nd February 2016
Nigel Martin William Vaughan – 4th February 2000
Beville Bentley – 7th February 1999
You can see all the pages of the Memorial Book 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.
Resources for worship and prayer at home
Some of resources which can be used at home are listed on the Resources Available Online and the Resources Available for Children, Young People and Families pages of the website.
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 normally comes out each Saturday. This week’s is Let’s Get BIBLICAL – Virtual Sunday School Gameshow!
They can all be found on the Sunday School on the Web page of our website as well as on YouTube.
ChadNet
This bulletin is sent to those who have requested it. We now have 92 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
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. Details of the various ways in which you can give can be found on the Giving page of the website.
If you are paying by cheque please make the cheque payable to “Pattingham PCC” or “Pattingham Parochial Church Council“.
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
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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604