ChadNet – no 52

ChadNet – no 52 – Sunday 21st March 2021

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:

Services in church resume this week. The church remains open for private prayer except on Sunday and Worship on the Web continues online.

View from the Pews

Philip Sims

How often have you been told “If I were you I would say or do this or that”?

Someone is always prepared to give us advice but how often do we heed it? Very rarely I would suggest because we hate being told what to do, particularly by relative strangers. And yet we have spent an entire year being told what to do and having our freedom restricted. In the main, as law abiding citizens, I would say that we have responded well but, more importantly, how well will we respond to the lifting of those restrictions?

Will we continue to bunker down, conclude that life is not that bad after all and opt for the status quo? Or will we be pursuing our former hectic lifestyle, trying to reconcile work and family, living a social whirl and revelling in the inevitable stress that this all creates? I realise that I outline two extremes and many of us live somewhere in the middle. However, it seems to me that, as we plan our own release from lockdown, we have options to consider.

We have an opportunity like never before to be what we want to be. Do we fill our lives to the brim or do we create space? Is that extra space for our partner, for family, for neighbours and friends? Is it space to do that extra good deed? Is it space for ourselves, for reflection, for meditation, for prayer? Is it space for God? In Luke Chapter 4 we read that Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness as he prepared for his ministry. Perhaps we have spent a whole year in some kind of wilderness, but have we prepared ourselves for our future?

We are all about to embark on a new chapter in our lives, an opportunity to be different, to cultivate different habits and to perhaps consciously change direction. Does that difference now include a relationship with God, or even a different relationship with God? If so we can be assured that God’s promise will prevail “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.

Philip Sims

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

Public worship in St Chad’s resumes this week

As there are now more people who are vaccinated and fewer in hospital we have decided to restart services in church from Sunday 21st March. Initially, and probably until at least the end of April, the pattern of services will continue as it was in December and the online services will continue.

Each Sunday there will be a service in church at 10 am which will include screening the Worship on Web service and a short communion service. There will also be a Commmunion service each Wednesday at 10 am.

We will still not be able to share the chalice so communion will continue in one kind only. We will have to continue observing the covid precautions – wearing face coverings, hand sanitising, observing social distancing, not mingling and not singing.

Sunday 21st March – Passion Sunday – Fifth Sunday of Lent

There will be a service in church at 10 am.

The Worship on the Web service will be led by Maureen. It will be screened in church as the main part of the service at 10 am, when it will be followed by a brief service of Holy Communion for those who wish to stay. It will be available on the Worship on the Web page of the website from 10 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.

Until Palm Sunday the diocese is providing sermons for parishes to use. This week’s preacher is Revd Dr Jeanette Hartwell (who used to be Vicar of Trysull), the Diocesan Ministry Enabler and Vocations Team Leader. The sermon can be found on YouTube at https://youtu.be/m3lw57NNXv4

The collect and readings for the Eucharist, which would normally be on the pewsheet, are available on the website.

National Day of Reflection – Tuesday 23rd March

The Church of England is supporting the National Day of Reflection which is organised by Marie Curie, on the first anniversary of the UK lockdown, to commemorate this tragic loss of life and to stand together with everyone who’s grieving. Information can be found on the Marie Curie website and on the CofE website.

God of Love,
As we think about all that has changed this year,
help us to trust that you are always with us.
As we remember those who have died,
help us to trust they are at peace with you.
As we reach out to others with kindness and care,
may hope shine out in every heart and home.
Amen

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 except Sunday. 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 keeping apart from anyone else who is already in there.

On Wednesday there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer in church at 10.00 am.

The Lent Course continues on Monday evening. More details are below.

Sunday 28th March – Palm Sunday

There will be a service in church at 10 am.

Worship on the Web will be a Family Service led by Gladys. It will be screened in church as the main part of the service at 10 am, when it will be followed by a brief service of Holy Communion for those who wish to stay. 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.

Holy Week and Easter

Holy Week starts on Monday 29th March.
Compline (Night Prayer) on Facebook will be at 7.30 pm instead of the usual 9.30 pm from Monday to Wednesday.
On Maundy Thursday there will be a Worship on the Web service online at 7.30 pm.
On Good Friday the Building of the Easter Garden will take place in the churchyard at 10 am and there will be a Worship on the Web service online at 2 pm.

On Easter Day there will be a service of Holy Communion in church at 10 am. We hope to live stream that service but if that is not possible there will be a recording of it online afterwards.

This year’s Fete is cancelled

The first weekend of July, when the fete is due to be held, is less than two weeks after the earliest date on which most of the current restrictions will be lifted according to the government’s roadmap.

Due to the numbers involved both in planning and running the fete and in attending the PCC has decided that it will not be possible to hold the fete as usual this year and has therefore taken the decision to cancel it now.

Once the restrictions are lifted we hope to be able to arrange some suitable alternative but that will clearly be later in the year.

Confirmation

There will be a deanery confirmation on Sunday 18th July.

If anyone is interested in being confirmed then – whatever your age – or would like to find out more – please contact Maureen as soon as possible.

Lent

Lent course

Broken Bits and Weirdness (But God Still Loves Us) – A series for Lent 2021 – author: Fay Rowland

Mondays at 7.30 pm (there are no longer sessions on Thursday afternoons)

Described as Bible study like you have never seen it!

Each week we will meet a new character from the Bible with a reading, a bible study, a wondering question with space for response, some meditative colouring, a craft, a recipe, suggestions for outdoor activities linked with the theme, and a prayer. Everything is optional – you are not expected to do the lot – just choose whatever seems helpful or attractive to you and brings you closer to God.

[The invitation to the Zoom meeting is only included in the edition of ChadNet which is emailed to subscribers.]

Lent @ home

A reminder that the “Lent @ home” booklet is an opportunity to journey through Lent as an individual, as a family or as a support bubble. There are reflections, readings and prayers for each week between now and Easter.

It can be downloaded here.

#LiveLent

The Church of England is offering daily Lent reflections by email from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day. There is also a phone app available. Details can be found at https://www.churchofengland.org/livelent/ – to sign up for the emails go to https://www.churchofengland.org/node/27518

Annual meeting and electoral roll

The Annual Church Meeting will be held in church at 11.15 am on Sunday 18th April (after the 10 o’clock service). If we are unable to meet in church arrangements will be made to hold it by Zoom.

The Church Electoral Roll is being revised. Those already on the roll do not need to do anything but those who wish to join it need to complete a form and return it to Michelle Pass, the Electoral Roll Officer. To be able to vote at the 2021 APCM the completed application must be received by Wednesday 31st March. More details and an application form can be found at <https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/church-electoral-roll/>

From the Memorial Book

Those whose anniversaries occur between 14th and 28th March.

Arthur John Rogers – 14th March 2005
Hilda Northern – 15th March 1997
Thomas William Roberts – 17th March 1973
James Keith Bradshaw – 17th March 2006
Lilian Ross Beach – 17th March 2006
Phyllis Alice Wood – 18th March 2016
Ronald Arthur Painting – 20th March 1980
Olive Harris – 20th March 1990
David Spencer Haddock – 21st March 1996
Leslie Thomas Price – 21st March 1997
Dennis David Cave – 23rd March 2017
Geoffrey Warrilow – 24th March 1956
Lillian Elkin – 26th March 1991

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 It’s our Birthday! Don’t Hide Your Light!

They can all be found on the Sunday School on the Web page of our website as well as on YouTube.

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.

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.

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 95 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

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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604