NEWS FROM ST. MICHAEL AND ALt ANGELS' CHURCH

www.stmichaelandallangelsesh.btck.co.uk

Shrove Tuesday 9th FebruarySt. Valentine 14th February

Ash Wednesday 10th FebruarySt. oswald 29th February

Belated news - a collection of f 126 was received at the end of the village Carol Service.

After discussions with the churches involved, the collection was split equally between ourown church heating costs for the choir's three rehearsals and the service, and the Stand

Together Refugee Fund. Thank you to allwho gave generously.

A welcome donation was recently given via quite a novel idea - no pun intended! A

collection of second hand books, many from Gillian and not sold at Coffee Mornings, was

taken to a book store by Judith and John who received f 28 for church funds. Please do offerbooks for Coffee Mornings, because if unsold they can still help the church.

We were caught out with the re-arranged 9 am service at the beginning of January - several

turned up for (what would have been) a 10 am Joint service! Unfortunately the late arrival

of the January magazine meant no warning signals were sent to our post-Christmas brains

about moving the Joint Service to the fifth Sunday in the month. I had not even hung my

2016 calendar to enter the new date - we'll all get the gist of it before the end of the year!

Hopefully Ken is feeling much better now and we thank both Ken and Audrey for getting the

magazine to us every month.

Preparations are currentty in full swing for Burn's Night which takes place on 22nd January,

after the magazine deadline, so news of the evening next month. Gillian, Evelyn and team

are working very hard to ensure a good evening for everyone and I hope lots of generous

food, drinks and tombola prizes were donated and that the snow stayed away!

The February Coffee Morning will be hosted by Judy and Malcolm at their home 'Craiglyne',

Front Street, from 10.30 am to noon on Saturday 6th. Our first of the year please do come

and enjoy half an hour or so, possibly on your way in or out of the village. Please provide a

small tombola prize and something for the Cakes/Pies/Preserves stall. lf you can't come

along do buy some raffle tickets in lieu. These events are so VERY important to cover week

by week expenses (including a recent delivery of heating oil!).

please could regulars confirm with Linda the month they would be willing to host an event.

The Race Night was very popular last year and may be repeated in 20L6. Also, if you would

like to provide the Altar Flowers for a particular anniversary, please let Linda know. The

March event is usually in Green Court; Claire and I will be hosting in April.

please make a list of any greetings cards/stationery you need for the coming year. The

phoenix card catalogue will be circulating for advance orders. Phoenix already donate a

percentage of their profits to charities each year and the Agent, Berni donates 10% of all our

purchases to church. A full display of attractive products will be available for purchase at

the April Coffee Morning but advance orders will be ready to collect on the day and ensure

that the cards you particularly want are in your pack.

A reminder from last month's news - please sign a Gift Aid form to cover any donations or

collection given during services over the past three or four years. There are some forms at

the back of church and Maurice can provide some if you have not got one. lf your form is

still waiting to be returned to Maurice please pop it to him asap. The originalforms have

not been located. The income from Gift Aid would be so helpful at no cost to the donor.

The PCC meets on Thursday 28th January. The agenda will include an update of the Friends

of Esh Church launch and Maurice will explain the Gift Aid situation. The need for a 9 am

and 4pm, two service Sunday will be reviewed. The AGM willtake place in April. Please

consider joining the PCC - we need more people to get involved to help move the church

forward. There are only six meetings a year.

Everyone in the church community, Knit and Natter Group and Esh W.l and Lunch Club was

deeply shocked to learn of the dreadful accident involving our friend Ann Hollamby who

suffered serious injuries. After intensive care treatment in Newcastle, Ann was eventually

transferred to Durham's University Hospital where her slow progress continues. Ann, who

has spent much of her time in recent years caring for others, will now need much support

from the medical professionals, her family and all her many friends. Her recovery will take

some time but we send Ann our very best and most sincere wishes for a full recovery.

We have one wedding booked for 2016 so far and no doubt there will be several baptisms.

The church needs to look its best for such occasions as well as for our own enjoyment

throughout the year. A really good spring clean of the vestry and church is urgently needed.please could you let any PCC member or Carol know if you are willing to help so that a date

can be arranged to suit everyone. Some jobs do not involve much physicality - sorting of

service pamphlets, dusting out of drawers, washing of table covers, cleaning a bit of brass or

sorting the bookshelves etc. would be much appreciated.

Lent, and therefore Easter, falls early this year. There have been articles in the media, not

for the first time, to suggest Easter Day should be held on the same date each year. I am

not sure what St. Bede would make of that idea! Curiously, I have not read anywhere that

Ramadan should have a fixed date - even though it moves right around the calendar by

eleven days a year - but there have been suggestions that the dates of public examinations

for all school pupils should be moved to avoid Ramadan! Easter and Ramadan are both

based on the lunar calendar resulting in a 'moving' date.

Another celebrated date is 29th February. We all know the tradition that this is the date

every four years when a lady can propose marriage to a man of her choice, but I did not

know until recently that if the man refused the proposal he had to pay a penalty of money

or a gown - written in law in medieval times. tn European countries the man had to pay a

penalty of 3.2 pairs of gloves to hide the lady's embarrassment of having no engagement

ring! perhaps in those long gone days it could simply be a way to acquire a new dress or

some gloves - however the plan might backfire and the lady regret the decision evermore!

Mothering Sunday witl be celebrated on Sunday 6th March - please make a date in your

diary now to join in such a special service. lt would be lovely to see the families whose

babies have previously been baptised in the church to come to this service when we thank

our mother church as well as our own mothers for allthat they do or have done for us.

With best wishes, tut