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Lymington United Reformed Church Lymington United Reformed Church Lymington United Reformed Church Lymington United Reformed Church

SEPTEMBER 2013SEPTEMBER 2013SEPTEMBER 2013SEPTEMBER 2013

FROM OUR MINISTER Dear friends, I hope that you have had a good summer. It has been a busy one in church and will, no doubt, lead into a busy autumn period too! It is difficult to pick out highlights because those are very personal but if we were to go by numbers alone we would have to choose Hannah and Matt’s wedding or the official opening of the garden. Both of those showed “church” at its best with people enjoying the worship of God, each other’s company and the beautiful surroundings we are privileged to share with our community. A particular “well done” to all who worked so hard to make the garden what it is now. Another summer meeting was our Annual Church Meeting, held for the first time in July to enable the accounts to be presented and approved on this occasion. I would like to take this opportunity to share more widely my thoughts on that occasion – please remember that this was written in mid-July so several of the events to which I refer have already taken place: “I have been looking back at what I wrote at our last ACM on 11

th March 2012 and am encouraged to see that quite a lot of

things which were ‘hoped fors’ then have now become reality: A Bible Study group, new pew Bibles, a meeting with our young people to chat about what they want from church, discussion with Ruth White our Synod CYDO, the ‘Getting to Know you’ session for prospective church members, work on church notice boards and the format of this ACM. “Thank you to all of those who have enabled those matters to come to fruition: it’s exciting that having started with those other things have followed on, in particular my comment last year, ‘Could we have run a holiday club this summer?’ Well, with the help of CTLP, we are doing this year and we have had the first replies to our advertising. It has been and continues to be a lot of work but I do pray that it will be a good week for children, parents

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and helpers alike. Already it has led to some really good cross-fertilisation between the churches which excites me, but that is really just a spin-off as our focus is the children and sharing Jesus with them. Please pray for us as we make the final preparations and then become ‘Rocky’s Plaice’ here from 12

th to 16

th August.

“Having met with Ruth White over a year ago, she is coming back to meet with the elders and Junior Church leaders on 27

th August

and following that meeting we hope that we may, as a church, be awarded the Child Friendly Church Award showing our preparedness to welcome children, even if there are occasional Sundays when none are with us. I hope that more may join us after the Holiday Club and hopefully their parents too. That may not happen – it can be a long, slow road but at least we’re making a start. “Sandra’s report has already commented on our new church members and it has been a huge joy for me to receive 13 new members since last summer. It is a thrill to be in church on a Sunday, all worshipping together and learning more of our Lord Jesus Christ and what he wants from us. However, I have been very concerned recently to hear that there have been some Sundays when very few of you have gathered and that this could possibly be linked with who is leading the service. Please try to remember that our Sunday services do not depend solely on who is leading the service or playing the music but on our fellowship together, our worship together, our encouragement of one another. If you are not here you cannot play your part in that and therefore potentially weaken the church overall. “On being here, have you got 4

th August in your diaries? The

Grand Opening of our garden will take place after a joint service here with the Methodists. We have several significant visitors coming along for the opening and a buffet lunch – please try to make sure that you join us – and pray for good weather! “I am sorry that there are several of you who I have not yet managed to visit at home. It remains my firm intention to do so

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and I ask that you will be patient with me. Pastoral emergencies, sometimes interminable numbers of meetings, community and wider church involvement as well as preparation for things like the Holiday Club have meant that I have had less time for visiting than I would like. I can only apologise. “I was delighted that we were able to hold a Christmas Tree Festival once again last year, even if numbers were down a little on previous years. We are hoping to build on that for this year and an organising group will be holding its second meeting on Friday. If you have any ideas for different groups we could contact to decorate a tree or provide entertainment please speak to Ken Lane. “Back to Church Sunday was a new initiative for Lymington URC at our Harvest Festival service last year and there were up to 20 visitors with us on that occasion. As with other initiatives it can take a while for this to bear discernible, long-lasting fruit, so the elders have been pleased to agree that we should take part in this outreach activity again at the end of September. Advertising materials will be available for you to invite your families and friends from the beginning of September. “Tomorrow I am meeting with three other ministers in the town to begin to discuss Hope 2014, a nationwide initiative to encourage churches to work together to reach out in their communities with the hope of the gospel. The basic idea is that we should use some existing church dates like the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and Easter to be specifically outward looking, as well as the centenary of the outbreak of WW1. “I mentioned at the last Church Meeting the Elders’ invitation to Rev. Andrew Willett to come in October to lead us in an ‘Ignite’ day, to ensure that what we do is by collaboration with the Holy Spirit, rather than simply our own good ideas that we ask God to bless. This is a really exciting opportunity to get our theology (what we believe about God) and our practice in tune with each other. It is possible that the speaker and therefore the date will need to

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change but I will try to clarify that as soon as possible. Watch this space! “You may well discern from all of these comments the focus of my passion for our church. I see pastoral work amongst our members as being vital but alongside that there must be a continual reaching out to those who do not yet share our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Much of that is done at the one-to-one level which happens quietly but consistently at the Open Door Café and our Saturday Coffee Mornings but we also need other opportunities, pegs on which to hang our sharing of the gospel. So the Garden Opening, Holiday Club, the Christmas Tree Festival, Back to Church Sunday, Hope 2014 etc. That is not to say that the work done on our buildings, our finances, our lettings, etc. etc. is unimportant – far from it. I am immensely grateful to all the people who ensure that all of these things and everything else within Lymington URC goes ahead without hitch or hindrance but they are not the things which are major priorities for my time as minister. My daily readings on Sunday hit me between the eyes as they said this ‘Break up your unploughed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord until he comes’ (Hosea 10:12) and ‘Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time’ (Col 4:5). I firmly believe and commit myself to strengthening us all WITHIN the church so that we can reach WITHOUT (Scottish!) the church, break up the unploughed ground, making the most of the time. I hope you will join me in this.”

Your friend and minister, Chris

OSBORNE NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL, NKONDO, UGANDA I promised in a recent service that I would update everyone via the magazine on the way in which Julius has been able to use our £1000 gift (from the annual Donations to Wider Work) on the boarding section of his school, as well as other items for his small

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school at his church. He writes this: “I love to extend our sincere thanks to the ChurchJ The school at the church needed more seats which we were able to buy with that money and shutters for the house on the Church. Osborne school needed renovation of the old structures and it was done more to that, the boarding building was not in use because we had not put glass in the front windows which is also now done. We also have been able to use some of this money to buy exercise books and pens or pencils to our orphans in both schools for this term. Otherwise i am happy to let you know that the (boarding) building is already under use - fifteen pupils have already reported. I will take the photos of the inside and the outside and send them. I hope to begin electrifying it possibly as the next thing before I do any other thing, this will provide room for revision and security as i am unable to employ a night watch man now.” These photos which Julius took give an idea of the school site now and its boarding section: Looking up the school site, with temporary wooden classrooms

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Other side of school site, looking down, with permanent classrooms in foreground and boarding section in background

Beds in boarding section

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Boarding section to right, kitchen to left

SECRETARY'S NOTES SEPTEMBER 2013 A new academic year is about to start so our thoughts are with all our young folk going back to school, college or university. We hope you settle well into new classes and enjoy the term. We will have to get out of “holiday mode” too as meetings and activities resume after the summer break. Our church meetings return to Sundays for the autumn so don’t forget your BYO lunch as we meet after worship on the 15th September. As last year we are combining our Harvest Festival with being part of Back to Church Sunday on 29th. Please think about who you could invite from your family, neighbours and friends. Look out for the invitations which will be available in church. Gifts for the Basics Bank will be appreciated, but, please, no baked beans, tea bags, packets of pasta or tins of tuna!

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The 29th is also a 5th Sunday so there is an opportunity, as Churches Together, to worship with the Quakers at the Community Centre at 6.30 p.m. On a personal note, many, many thanks for the cards, flowers, visits and practical help when I was “confined to barracks” after trying to demolish the kerb outside Stead and Simpsons in July. Needless to say I came of worst!

Bless You! Sandra

BASICS BANK This month sees the start of the 10th year of Basics Bank. The figures for the number of parcels and people helped are a little higher than last year, but not the huge increase we were expecting with the changes in benefits etc. If you are considering making a donation to Harvest Festival, please avoid baked beans, tea bags, tuna or packets of pasta. Tins of meat, fruit, milk puddings, potatoes, packets of long life milk, small packets of sugar, squash, jellies etc. for children will be very welcome. Over the next couple of months we are reapplying for planning permission. (We were only granted 5 years temporary permission.) We hope it will go smoothly. We'd be grateful for your prayers and support through this process, please. Is there anyone from the URC who would be willing to be our Church's contact for the Basics Bank? Having been heavily involved for the last 9 years I am now going to stand back and let others take the responsibility. I'll be helping a little with admin so will still keep in touch. If you feel able to help out, please have a word with me. Thanks!

Sandra

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CHURCH FAMILY NEWS Sadly, we record the death of Dorothy Cooper on 3rd July at the age of 96, a member of our church since July 1988. She was such a lovely lady, so welcoming and friendly. She took pleasure in being part of the Women’s Guild, particularly enjoying the outings. She was supportive of all that the Church did or planned to do and was a great “encourager”. We’ll miss her, but will always remember her beautiful smile. Her thanksgiving service was led by Chris on the 16

th July.

Congratulations to Julia Saqui and Esther Bowell, both of whom achieved the grades necessary for them to continue their education as planned in their A levels and AS levels respectively. Julia will study at Edinburgh University and Esther continues with her A level studies at Canford School.

LYMINGTON URC DIARY

EVERY WEDNESDAY the Prayer Group will meet in the Church from 9.15 a.m. until 10.00 a.m. Everyone welcome.

COFFEE MORNINGS:

EVERY MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, from 10.00 a.m.—12 noon, in the Open Door Café. Every Tuesday the Open Door Cafe proceeds support the Romans One Eleven Trust and local charities and groups. The Open Door Cafe will also open on Fridays and will be staffed by members of the Fellowship and Fundraising committee.

EVERY SATURDAY, from 9.30 a.m.—11.30 a.m., in the hall.

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SUNDAY WORSHIP

EVERY 2nd Sunday afternoon Lymington Salvation Army service in the sanctuary or main hall.

1st: 10.15 a.m. Elders’ Prayer Time in Vestry 10.30 a.m. Worship including Communion and Elders induction, led by Rev’d Chris Vivian 8th: 10.15 a.m. Elders’ Prayer Time in Vestry 10.30 a.m. Worship led by Mrs Mary Ann Jardine 15th: 10.15 a.m. Elders’ Prayer Time in Vestry 10.30 a.m. Worship led by Rev’d Chris Vivian followed by BYO lunch and Church Meeting

22nd: 10.15 a.m. Elders’ Prayer Time in Vestry 10.30 a.m. Worship led by Sandra Jackson

29th: 10.15 a.m. Elders’ Prayer Time in Vestry 10.30 a.m. Harvest Festival and Back to Church Sunday. Worship led by Rev’d Chris Vivian 6.30 p.m. CTLP 5th Sunday service led by the Quakers at the Community Centre EVERY WEEK there will be Junior Church and coffee/tea after the service.

OTHER EVENTS

EVERY FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH, New Forest Disability Information Service Outreach Session in the Open Door Café, 10 a.m. to 12 noon (not on Bank Holidays though).

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EVERY THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, from 10.00 a.m.—12 noon, Carers’ Café in the Open Door Café.

EVERY 4th SATURDAY ON A BI-MONTHLY BASIS, Cruse Bereavement New Forest will have an Information Table in the Open Door Cafe 9.30am to 11.30am. Cruse is committed to breaking the stigma around grief and ensuring that everyone, no matter how old or young can access the highest quality support following a bereavement. Trained Cruse Bereavement volunteers will be on hand in the Open Door Cafe to offer information, help and advice. Saturday 8 a.m. Car Boot Sale in the Forecourt

Tue. 3rd 7.00 p.m. Elders' Meeting (Social)

Tue. 17th 7.30 p.m. CTLP Council Meeting in the hall.

The forecourt sales started on Saturday 25th May and the last one is on Saturday 7th September so there will be no forecourt parking during that period.

CLOSING DATE FOR OCTOBER 'OPEN DOOR’: 8th SEPTEMBER

Free Wi Fi connection to the internet available in the Open Door Cafe, Balcony and Main Hall areas. Just ask for the required password!

THANKS A big thank you to Chris and everyone from myself and James for their friendly and warm welcome and for a lovely service for Jessica Dunsdon’s blessing. She had a lovely day, and enjoyed all the attention and eyes on her.

Many Thanks Elizabeth Saunders

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A LATE SPRING

The wearisome climate has wrought chaos for nine long months The four winds of heaven have blown strong and cold The accursed north and east have driven through us- as if there is no tomorrow But now our late spring has briefly painted new colours darting across the sky The wind whispers through new corridors of light The trees emerge once more through all the minute details of every leaf their richness is increasing twenty fold The visage of Christ returns in a strong and heavenly light With Christ as our saviour there falls no dark shadow amongst the four winds of heaven.

Peter Haslett

ELDERS ELECTION At our Annual Church Meeting in July Sandra Jackson and John Wiseman were re-elected to serve another term on the Eldership. Their induction will take place at our Communion Service on the 1st September.

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CHURCH INFORMATION We now have.... Two small portable CD/Radio players for all to use when required thanks to kind donations. One is on the Dais by the Clavinova and the other is in the café! We still have the large green CD/Tape player which also acts as an amplifier and can be used outside with microphones and is currently in Cottage Room 1.

Cards for Good Causes Shop 2013...... We will be looking for volunteers for the shop again this year. The plan is to open on Friday 8th November with the final day on Saturday 14th December. Opening times will be Monday to Saturday 10am to 2pm with some variations when the Christmas Tree Festival is on and when the town lights/late night shopping event takes place. If you are interested in helping out please contact Helena.

BAGS OR BUCKETS OF LOVE Are you up for a challenge? Members of Junior Church have been challenged once again to raise money using their talents. Each child has been given either a bag or, if feeling really adventurous, a bucket to take home and to raise as much money as possible. This could be by collecting coins, making homemade cakes, cards, etc. Their aim is to support the Romans 1-11 Children's school in Uganda by helping to provide electricity to the school. The bags and buckets will be collected at our Harvest Festival. We

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would love everyone to be involved. Please if you would like a bag or further information ask Judith, Jane or Catherine.

Catherine

ROCKY’S PLAICE HOLIDAY CLUB I wonder if you visited a fish and chip shop during August? If you came into the church between 12

th and 16

th August you

would have been privileged to visit Rocky’s Plaice, an imaginary chip shop where the children were learning more about Jesus, helped by a team of about 15 Christians from four of the local churches. It was disappointing that the highest number of children on any one day was 19 (with 25 different children attending for whole or part of the week) but given that amongst these there were some with quite challenging behaviours we accept that this was probably enough for our team. On the heartening side the children really seemed to enjoy themselves and appreciated a mixture of drama, music, aerobics, games, Bible investigation, group discussion, crafts and prayer.

I am immensely grateful to everyone in the team for all the varied talents which they brought to the week. We have learned a lot about each other and the ecumenical scene in Lymington is stronger as a result. I hope that this initiative can be followed up on next year, though I also hope that someone else will pick up the leadership role!

Chris Vivian BALLARD SCHOOL

The God Particle play by a touring theatre company Friday, 27th September 2013 The God Particle is a one-act play and romantic comedy about a Quantum Physicist and a Vicar who meet in a bar. They work together to solve a mystery about time travel. Together they discover the true meaning of faith, knowledge and love and how important it is to keep an open mind, not only about faith and science, but also about different people. The play has been performed at the Edinburgh fringe festival (August 2013) and is also on tour round many schools and churches. More detailsJ The playJ

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Ever seen a romantic comedy sci-fi? Dr Bex Kenworthy from the Institute of Advanced Quantum Theory has been stood up by a lab-technician. When Dr Gilbert Romans arrives, things are looking up, until she discovers he is, in fact, the new local vicar. A die-hard sceptical scientist and a heavenly-minded vicar seem to create entirely the wrong kind of chemical reaction. But there was undoubtedly a spark. On top of this, strange things are going on in the village of Threepiggs. Is there any link between exploding TV-detector vans, a disappearing vicar and the unexplained bending of time? Will science or faith prevail? It’s a little bit Rev meets Hitchhiker’s Guide or The Vicar of Dibley meets Dr Who. The play features two actors and lasts 70 minutes with no interval. The writerJ

James Cary mostly writes sitcoms for BBC TV and Radio, winning awards here and there. His newest sitcom Bluestone 42, about a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan, gained over 2 million viewers on BBC3 in Spring 2013 and a second series has been commissioned. He worked on the first two series of Miranda and co-wrote Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop. He has also written episodes of My Family and My Hero. His radio credits include four series of Another Case of Milton Jones, three series of Hut 33 and four series of Think the Unthinkable starring Marcus Brigstocke and David Mitchell. His stage show, Infinite Number of Monkeys, was nominated for Perrier Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe. He tweets and blogs as sitcomgeek. At Ballard School, New Milton on Friday, 27th September 2013 at 7.00 pm in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC). (There is a ‘private’ performance in the morning for senior pupils as part of their PSHE programme.) Tickets for the evening performance are £5 for adults and £4 for pupils of school age. The performance lasts 70 minutes and there is no interval.

Details and tickets from Mrs Rachel Spackman at the PAC box office: rachel.spackman@ballardschool.co.uk Tel.: 01425 627733

Alastair Reid (Headmaster) 18

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PLEASE NOTE: This magazine is printed on paper from renewable sources out of our concern for the environment.

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ROTAS FOR SEPTEMBER COMMUNION SUNDAY: 1st COMMUNION ELDERS: Margaret and David DUTY ELDER READING IN CHURCH 1st: David Bywater Jenny Henderson 8th: John Wiseman Wyn Davies 15th Catherine Bowell Margaret Holmes-Evans 22nd: Maureen Kerr Kate Noon 29th: Gerry Copperi David Bywater

STEWARDS SOUND SYSTEM 1st: Ron Parker and David Bywater MS/GC 8th: Janice Perkins and |Jenny Henderson MC 15th Ken and Jane Lane GC 22nd: Ann Longney and Kate Noon PR/KL 29th: Peter and Shelagh Richardson WD/MC

COFFEE MORNING ROTAS Saturday Sunday

1st Ann Longney 7th The Salvation Army 8th Ann Webber 14th Ann Webber 15th June Copperi 21st Mary Ann Jardine 22nd Janice Perkins 28th Judith Baker 29th Margaret Clark

Whilst every care is taken to ensure information in the magazine is accurate, Lymington URC does not accept, and disclaims, any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions which results from negligence, accident or any other cause. Lymington URC does not officially endorse any advertising material included in the magazine.

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“ If you wish to adver-tise in The Open Door magazine (10 issues

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accommodated in quarter, half and full

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OPEN DOOR FELLOWSHIP AND FUNDRAISING

Forthcoming events:

The Fellowship and Fundraising Committee thank you all

for your support during the summer. A particular thank

you to Jane and Mike for a wonderful strawberry tea.

What a great time we had!

We have had a very busy summer having provided or

helped with food for Hannah’s wedding, Super Saturday,

the Open Studios and the opening of the garden, and

some of us helped with the food for the Children's’ Holi-

day Club.

Our next events will be:

Table sale, 7th September, if room in forecourt,

Cathy’s BBQ, Sunday, 15th September, after church

(TBC),

Anniversary lunch, 13th October (TBC).

PLEASE NOTE: This magazine is printed on paper from renewable sources out of our concern for the environment.

CONTACT DETAILS

Minister: Rev’d Chris Vivian. Tel 01590 675633 e-mail: chrisvivian@btinternet.com Church Secretary: Sandra Jackson. Tel 01590 676306 e-mail: secretaryurclym@btinternet.com Magazine Editor: Wyn Davies. Tel 01425 616384 e-mail: WynBDavies@sky.com Church web site: http://www.lymurc.org.uk/ Tel 01590 676306 e-mail: adminurclym@btinternet.com Other web sites that list the church: http://www.joinmychurch.com http://www.findachurch.co.uk http://www.searchchurch.co.uk Centre Manager: Helena Carr. Tel 01590 676306 On site Monday-Friday 8.30am to 2pm. The church office is in the cottage. If the main hall doors are locked during the office open times, please proceed to the cottage which is a separate building at the rear of the church main hall.

CENTRE MANAGER’S HOLIDAYS UPDATED!

- Tuesday 17/09 to Friday 20/09.

- Thursday 03/10 & Friday 04/10.

- Thursday 24/10, Friday 25/10 & Monday 28/10.

- Friday 08/11/13.

- All Bank Holidays.

Basics Bank web site: http://www.basicsbank.org.uk/ Tel 01590 610008 e-mail: nfbbsecretary@gmail.com