ChadNet – no 57

ChadNet – no 57 – Sunday 25th April 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 have resumed. The church remains open for private prayer except on Sunday and there will be a combination of streamed services and recorded Worship on the Web online. Covid-19 guidelines should be observed in church at all times.

View from the Vicarage

Maureen Hoobs

Reasons to be cheerful – Part 1

Ian Dury

Readers of a certain age will immediately be put in mind of Ian Dury and the Blockheads.

And this week – as I turned 67 – I have much to be thankful and cheerful for!

Number 1 being that I have now lived for 10 years longer than my own father… which is a scary and sobering thought. How much more might he have achieved, had he not succumbed to an aneurism at just 57? I will never know!

And Number 2 will come this Saturday morning – possibly as this is dropping into your inbox – when I shall be receiving the second part of my anti-COVID vaccination. Hurrah!

Number 3 is the kindness and thoughtfulness of very many people, both within this community and across the internet, for your kind birthday wishes on Thursday.

I have also been reminded by our bishops – Michael and Clive – of the central place of Thanksgiving in our Christian worship…. Not that I really needed too much reminding. The word Eucharist is very closely related to the modern word for “Thank you” in Greek – evcharisto (ευχαριστώ) ! If you learn no other word when we (eventually) are allowed back on holiday, I recommend you learn and practice that one – it works a charm on porters, bar staff and waiters!

The bishops are recording a series of mini-lectures on different aspects of Holy Communion or Eucharist. These are appearing on YouTube every Thursday at present, and you can access them at <https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/bread-of-life.php> on the Diocese of Lichfield website . A bit academic some may think, but there are some nuggets of wisdom contained therein.

One of the phrases that struck me from Bishop Clive’s talk this week was “gratitude follows grace like thunder follows lighting”. I don’t think this is original to him – I think he was quoting another author, but it is a good expression.  Whenever we come to worship together, we are given the opportunity to face up to our own shortcomings and to accept the freely offered love and forgiveness that God gives us – just as any parent loves and forgives their wayward child. (This is grace) And this is followed by the great Prayer of Thanksgiving. And while it is said by the priest it is not my prayer but rather a prayer that I can only offer on behalf of others (ie., all of you). And it is not just concerned with consecration – the making ‘special’ of bread and wine, however you choose to understand that – but importantly involves the proclamation of God’s great deeds on behalf of his people. In fact our modern Christian prayers are rooted in the traditions of Jewish prayer and follow very much the pattern that Jesus himself used and would have been familiar with.

Blessing God for his goodness; recounting all the ways in which God has shown his people favour, and only then asking the Spirit to transform the ordinary stuff of life; bread and wine; to help us remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, as he freely submitted to death on a cross.

And thanks also to Gena our retiring Churchwarden, and welcome to that role Dorothy who will be formally admitted to office at some time in June by the Archdeacon….

Reasons to be cheerful?  Oh yes, I think so!

Every blessing
Maureen

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 25th April – Fourth Sunday of Easter

There will be a service of Holy Communion led by Maureen in church at 10 am, which will include the baptism of Gracie-May Jones. Covid-19 guidance and restrictions continue to apply. Please wear a face covering, use the hand sanitizer, observe social distancing and remember that congregational singing is not allowed.

The service will be screened live for those who cannot or do not want to attend. It will be available on the Worship on the Web page of the website and also on YouTube at <https://youtu.be/0H2PJy6C4_k>

It will also be on the Dial a Service phone line (01902 906585) but not until about 12.30 pm.

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 except Saturday and 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.

The Century Club draw will take place by Zoom on Monday. See below for the link.

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

On Saturday there will be a wedding in church. To comply with the guidelines on cleaning the church will not be open for private prayer.

Sunday 2nd May – Fifth Sunday of Easter

There will be a Family Service led by Ken, followed by Holy Communion led by Maureen, in church at 10 am.

It will be screened live for those who cannot or do not want to attend. It will be available on the Worship on the Web page of the website and also on YouTube.

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

Prayer – where to start and how to keep going

A series of daily emails from the Church of England started on 19th April and will continue until 30th April.

It’s the simplest thing in the world, yet it can seem so difficult. It’s as natural as breathing, yet it’s hard to find the right words. Just how do you learn to pray? This short reflection series considers ten basic questions about prayer and offers simple helps for making prayer a part of everyday life. It is adapted from a book first published as Praying Through Life and reissued as How to Pray by Stephen Cotterill, now the Archbishop of York.

Those who signed up for the #LiveLent emails will get these emails automatically. If you sign up for these you will no doubt get the next series of emails, which may well be for Thy Kingdom Come between Ascension and Pentecost.

To sign up and for more information go to <https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/what-we-believe/lent-holy-week-and-easter/prayer-where-start-and-how-keep-going-email> You will presumably only get the emails sent after you sign up. If you would like copies of the previous emails in the series email and we will forward them to you.

Annual meeting- elections

At last week’s Annual Meeting Clive Pendrell was re-elected as Churchwarden and Dorothy Steel was elected as Churchwarden in place of Gena Richards, who was standing down. Dorothy will formally take over as Churchwarden when she is admitted to office by the Archdeacon at the Visitation, which will probably be held in June.

Carol Broxton and Philip Sims were re-elected to the PCC.  There were no volunteers for any of the remaining five vacancies. The PCC will therefore have no new members this year and will lose Maureen when she retires and Gena when Dorothy formally succeeds her as Churchwarden.

Geoffrey Dann continues as PCC Secretary  and Philip Sims continues as Vice-Chair. Tony Ainsworth will take over from Clive Pendrell as PCC Treasurer from 1st May.

The current members of the PCC are:

  • Maureen Hobbs – Vicar
  • Clive Pendrell – Churchwarden (and Treasurer until 30/4/21)
  • Gena Richards – Retiring Churchwarden until admission of Dorothy
  • Dorothy Steel – Churchwarden Elect and Deanery Synod Representative
  • Gordon Bramall – Deanery Synod Representative
  • Geoffrey Dann – Deanery Synod Representative and Secretary
  • Philip Sims – Vice-Chair
  • Tony Ainsworth – Treasurer from 1/5/21
  • Carol Broxton
  • Henry Ibberson
  • Kenneth Scott
  • Alan Smith

The reports for the meeting are still available on the church website at <https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/pcc-news-and-reports/pcc-reports/>. The accounts for 2020 have not yet been completed and so they are not included in the reports bur a Financial Review of 2020 is included. Once the accounts have been independently examined they will be made available and a (hopefully brief) meeting will be held to receive them.

Century Club draw

Thus month’s Century Club draw will be held on Monday at 7 pm and can be seen by Zoom. [The invitation to the Zoom meeting is only included in the edition of ChadNet which is emailed to subscribers.]

For more information please contact Alan Smith on 07757 688518 or

From the Memorial Book

Those whose anniversaries occur between 18th April and 2nd May.

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
Florence Maud Layland – 28th April 1999
Lily Evelyn Woodall – 2nd May 2003

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 12.30 pm (or earlier if there is a recorded service) 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.

For those who are unable to attend church to make their communion there is a form of Spriritual Communion on the Church of England 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 now comes out every two weeks on a Saturday and they will be holding a Virtual Holiday Club in August. This week’s is The Lord’s Prayer + The Bread Quiz!

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