parish news - st nicholas church - newchurch · parish news october 2017 . st. nicholas hurch, ......

St. Nicholas Church, Newchurch

www.stnicholasnewchurch.com

St. Nicholas Church with St. John and St. Michael

Parish News

October 2017


MONDAY

2nd of every month:

MONDAY CLUB at 2.00pm

for retired people of any age

Laughter, fun and sparkling

conversation!

Delicious refreshments

Contact: Jo Blair

07739 596810

4th of every month:

FILM CLUB at 2.00pm

ALL are welcome

Films old and new

Delicious refreshments

Contact: Mitchell Lord

213601

We’re

not just

open

on a

Sunday!

P

L

E

A

S

E

J

O

I

N

U

S

WEDNESDAY

SAID EUCHARIST FROM THE

BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

10.15am

Followed by refreshments

4th of every month:

THE NARTHEX EXPERIENCE

at 7.30pm

ALL are welcome

Informal worship lasting

about 45 minutes followed

by refreshments

Contact: Robin Jones 830649

FRIDAY

1st of every month:

JOLLY TOTS

at 9.30 am

All pre-school children and

parents / carers welcome

Refreshments available

Contact: Eileen Barnes

379928

Also…..

1st and 3rd MONDAY

Flower Club 7.00pm

Contact: Jane Giles 344761

WEDNESDAY

Bell ringing 7.00pm

Contact: Jane Giles 344761

THURSDAY

Choir Practice 7.15pm


The Vicar Writes…

It’s Harvest time again and we’re getting ready for

our Harvest Celebrations. The leaves of the trees are

turning to their wonderful autumn colours and some

are already beginning to fall. In the Rectory garden

there are a number of very busy squirrels gathering

conkers as they fall, much to Buddy the dog’s

confusion!

But the squirrels are looking delighted with

their windfall, dashing around collecting,

burying, nibbling and repeating this exercise

over and over again. How good it is to see

nature providing what is needed in due season!

(And what a relief that the conkers don’t stay

on the ground long enough in my garden to

grow into saplings!)

At this time of year we give special thanks for

the gifts of God through creation. We give thanks and pray for all those

involved in the production of our food, and we pray especially for those

throughout our world who have so little.

This half term, thankfulness is the key Christian value that St Nicholas’

School are thinking about. It is very easy to forget to be thankful and to

think about all the things we haven’t got instead of counting the blessings of

all that we have.

Having an attitude of gratitude not only fills our hearts with joy, it also helps

us to recognise the needs of others and respond in love.

Thanks be to God for all that is given to us, and may God help us to share

with others with generous and cheerful hearts.

With my prayers and best wishes,

Mthr Penny


My first Bible was given to me when I was one month old,

by two elderly sisters, on the day I was baptised. Their

surname was Moses, so they were both Auntie Mosie to

me.

After my parents I see them as the first in a long chain of people, who have held the

Christ light for me and for others. In the words of the hymn, they have ‘urged and

inspired us, cheered us on our way’. This gentle but strong chain of people leads

from the past up to the present day and I thought that it would be nice if we all

remembered those who have helped us along the way and thanked God for them

Priscilla Richardson

Joint Bible Study Sessions St John's Rectory, Facit led by the Rev'd Lyn Woodall Tuesdays 2.30pm Lyn says... "We'll be looking at images of Jesus thoughout the Bible. We will look at what the 2 accounts of creation tell us about God and we will see how Old Testament characters point towards the ministry of Jesus”. For more information or if you would like a lift, please contact Mthr Penny Following this series, we will begin the Pilgrim Course at St Nicholas' Church - a course aimed at helping us to explore and deepen our understanding of the Christian faith. Details to follow...

Please support Harvest Festival on Sunday 8th Oct at 10.30am at church.

This year our Harvest donations will go to the RAFT Foodbank, helping

families in Rossendale, and The Booth Centre, helping the homeless in

Manchester.

Make a date

Meeting with our new enthusiastic young curate, I asked if I could have a church

service when I eventually die. "Of course," he said, grabbing his date book. "What

day do you want?"


William Tyndale

This month we remember both the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, and Bible Sunday, so it is a good time to pay tribute to William Tyndale (1494 – 1536). William Tyndale was an English priest and scholar who was the first to translate the Bible into English, and thus give the common person direct access to the Word of God.

The Roman Catholic Church and King Henry VIII were furious, and Tyndale fled England for the Continent. Here he completed the Bible, but was finally betrayed, arrested and imprisoned. He was condemned to be strangled and burned at the stake near Brussels.

His dying prayer was that God would ‘open the eyes’ of the King, and sure enough – two years later King Henry commissioned the Great Bible for the Church of England – which relied heavily on Tyndale’s version.

Anniversary

Reformation

Bible

Sunday

Tribute

William

Tyndale

First

Common

Person

Word

God

King

Furious

Betrayed

Arrested

Imprisoned

Strangled

Burned

Prayer

Others

If it’s true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?


Paws for thought

This month, I’m learning about Harvest Festival, and about the acts of generosity towards those in need as we celebrate all that God has given to us. However, I hear that its not unusual for another small creature to get in on the action first! That pesky little church mouse – at least I have the manners to sit and wait (usually), and give a paw. Rumour has it, he’s a bit of a thief! I know for a fact it is not Mother Penny who eats all the biscuits and the choir’s sweets… And if mice weren’t bad enough, our house is full of spiders – the size of mice, if not bigger. We don’t like spiders at the Rectory – I chase them, but they’re often too quick, even for me, I bark at them but they don’t seem to listen. But Mother Penny says that as this time of year is a good time for being thankful for the whole of creation – all creatures, great and small. So I hope the mouse enjoys his harvest feast. I hope he remembers to say grace before he begins, and I hope he leaves some to share with others… Buddy Nicholas

A Baptist minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a jar of alcohol. The second worm was put into a jar of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a jar of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a jar of good clean soil. At the conclusion of the sermon, the minister reported the following results: The first worm in alcohol - Dead. The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead. Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead. Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation, "What can you learn from this demonstration?" A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said, "As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms.”

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwid-qbh3bfQAhWGWxQKHXw-BB4QjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clipartkid.com%2Fwolverine-paw-print-cliparts%2F&bvm=bv.139250283,d.cGw&psig=AFQjCNHU_tBnr97QPYqJkxAVa0OjW6fV7Q


Dinner

On Saturday evening, 16th September, fifty of us

congregated in the

Narthex for what

turned out to be

a fabulous

evening of fun,

good food, plenty

of chatter and more than enough intrigue.

‘Death by Chocolate’ was the murder mystery we

had to solve from

a number of written pieces of evidence and

dialogue plus help and advice from the

mysterious man who kept popping up on the

DVD. The excellent

thespians /

waiters, secured at great expense, each played

their part admirably. A big thank you to Adrian,

Alan, Alex, Anne, David, Emily, Penny and Rachel

who ‘volunteered’ to be such an integral part of

the evening. Also, huge appreciation must be

expressed to Caroline and Gill who worked

tirelessly in the kitchen to produce a wonderful three course meal. I do hope

this event will be repeated when I am sure it will be yet another ‘sell out’.

The icing on the chocolate cake was the fact that a grand total of £459.85

was raised for Church Funds.

HARVEST SUPPER AND QUIZ

Friday 6th October at 7.00pm

Ploughman’s Supper and fun quiz

Suggested donation £3

All proceeds to Christian Aid

Harvest appeal


Do you shop online? Please help

us by registering with the above

site. Follow the simple

instructions and do your

shopping!

Thank you for your support and

please do give it a go if you can!

FUTURE DATE….

COFFEE MORNING AT CHURCH

on

WEDNESDAY 15th NOVEMBER

11.00am—1.00pm

REFRESHMENTS—RAFFLE—BRING & BUY

For further details please see Constance

Life appears to me to be too short to be spent in nursing

animosity or registering wrongs.

Charlotte Bronte

As my five-year-old son and I were heading to McDonald's one day, we passed a car accident. Usually when we see something terrible like that, we say a prayer for whoever might be hurt, so I pointed and said to my son, "We should pray."

From the back seat I heard his earnest voice: "Dear God, please don't let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."


SCR

AP

CA

RS C

OLLEC

TED

CA

SH O

N C

OLLEC

TION

Dear Parishioners,

Another September sees

the start of a new school

year. This year we have

welcomed 23 children into our Reception

class. They have settled in really well .

They have their Year 6 buddies to look

after them on the yard and at lunchtime.

All the children were awarded their

teddy bear in Celebration Worship and most of them confidently told me that

they enjoyed playing at school. They also were tasked with bringing in an ‘All

About Me’ box which they shared with their class friends

and buddies.

We are hoping for another busy year and we look forward

to seeing you at our events to which you are always

welcome. Jane Thistlethwaite

Some dates for your diary…..

3rd October 9.15 a.m. —Harvest Festival in Church

20th October— PTFA event Tickled Pink Coffee morning.

26th October –Open Day

Paul Hardingham considers the reason why the Reformation was so important….

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

October 31st marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church door in 1517, signaling the start of the Protestant Reformation. He was protesting against the practice of indulgences, where the good deeds of the saints could be purchased to reduce time spent in purgatory, before arriving in heaven. For Luther, this cheapened grace, repentance and forgiveness: ‘You can’t buy God’s friendship!’

Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483. In 1501 he enrolled at the University of Erfurt, and attained a Master’s degree in 1505. In July of that year, he got caught in a violent thunderstorm and vowed to become a monk if he survived. As a result, he abandoned his plans to study law and entered an Augustinian monastery.

Luther rediscovered the truths of God’s grace: ‘For in the gospel the righteousness of God

is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’.’ (Romans 1:17). He recognised that righteousness (being right with God) and forgiveness is not earned by good works, but faith. The undeserved love of God and His acceptance is a matter of trust. This challenge to the Church of Luther’s day remains so today! At the Diet (Council) of Worms, he refused to recant his views: ‘Here I stand; I can do no other!’

Luther stood for the free forgiveness of the gospel, by which God accepts us because of the death of Jesus on our behalf to deal with our sin. Is this what we believe? Only trusting Jesus can make us right with God. In what ways can we slip into a mindset that seeks God’s approval for what we achieve in our spiritual lives, rather than in how we can serve as a response to all He has done for us? We will continue to get things wrong, but God never gives up on us!

Luther was excommunicated in 1521 and died in 1546 during a visit to Eisleben. The Book of Common Prayer was first published in England three years later.

‘Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong (sin boldly), but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world.’ (Martin Luther).


Welcome! Benvenuti!

Unlike many others ‘Mondello’ does not have only the

‘Italian name’ but it is indeed a truly authentic Italian

family business, run with passion and dedication.

Situated in the heart of Crawshawbooth, Mondello

offers modern and elegant Italian flavours whilst

maintaining the family values and traditions on which

the owners have built their business.

www.mondellosrestaurant.com


LAWS WE DIDN'T LEARN IN SCIENCE AT SCHOOL

A few thoughts from Rev. Alan Sowerbutts...

Those who did Physics, Chemistry or Biology at school will have learned many laws of science, often named after their discoverers. As we grew older and having left school we discovered others which are equally valid but never found their way into science syllabuses. Perhaps a selection will bring them to mind and make you think of others... Parkinson's Law: Often stated as; “Whatever resources are allocated to a task they will be used and more will be required.” There are specific applications of this law such as, “Work expands to fill the time allocated to it,” or “Expenditure rises to overtake income.” Murphy's Law (often called something else outside Church circles) Simply stated as, “Whatever can go wrong will.” Specific applications are, “Toast falling off a table will always meet the floor butter side down” or “If you lock a cupboard and mislay the key, you will need to get into it in the next five minutes.” Several people have formulated their own applications of this law, giving them their own name. Usually they are of the form, “X's Law states that Murphy's Law will apply to X multiplied by a factor of Y.” The Law of Traffic This has several forms, perhaps the most popular in recent days is, “There is no difficult traffic situation that cannot be made worse by the introduction of traffic lights.” The Law of the Queue This is so well-known that it hardly needs stating but, for completeness... “The queue next to yours will always move faster than yours. Even if you change queues the law will always apply.” The Law of the Hymn Tune Everyone must have had experience of this one in action... “The hymn you thought you knew very well is always sung to a different tune in Church.” The above are just a few. Do you have any more to add?


Dementia

Friendly

Rossendale

In partnership with St Nicholas Church, Newchurch

Become a Dementia Friend

An information and interactive event that will raise your

understanding and awareness about dementia.

Open to all

Where

St Nicholas Church, Newchurch, BB4 9EQ

When

There are two events to choose from:

Thursday 16th November: 10am-11am

(Doors open 9.30am, with tea/coffee served)

Saturday 18th November: 10am-11am

(Doors open 9.30am, with tea/coffee served)

Each event will last about one hour from the start

and will be followed by refreshments

To confirm your place, please contact:

The Rev’d Penny King on 01706 211 122 or

email: [email protected]

MOTHER’S UNION

I understand that St Nicholas

Church used to have a Branch

of the Mother’s Union!

You do not have to be a

Mother or even a woman to be

a member!

If you are interested in

forming a Branch could you

please contact me?

Thank you

Emily Hewitson-Townley

01706557028/07726492586

Christian Aid responds to those suffering in South Asia floods

Christian Aid is bringing emergency relief to families in India, Nepal and Bangladesh as more than a thousand people have been killed and 40 million more affected by floods.

The charity has deployed £45,000 of emergency funds and is also using a further £200,000 from Irish Aid and the DFID-backed START fund to provide 4000 households with hygiene kits, tarpaulin, shelter materials and community water filters to provide safe drinking water. Elsewhere 20,000 families are being taught about good hygiene practices to protect themselves from diseases.

Christian Aid’s Head of Humanitarian Programmes for Asia & Middle East,

Madara Hettiarachchi, said she hoped people wouldn’t forget people in South Asia whilst floods in Texas were dominating the news agenda. ‘These are some of the worst floods we’ve seen in South Asia in decades and the impact is likely only going to get worse,’ she said. ‘Farms and livestock have been washed away so food security is going to be a huge problem in the coming days and we will likely see the death toll rise.

‘The good news is we are reaching people and bringing them the vital help they need to stay alive and begin to rebuild their lives.’


From “Life of Grime” to “Grand Design”

Preferred supplier to St Nicholas Church

with St John & St Michael

for

Carpets, Upholstery & Exterior Cleaning

Visit our website for the full range of services

CDEL offer.

www.cdelltdlancashire.co.uk email: [email protected]

01706225226 07807342860

Full Steam Ahead Ironing

Dry Cleaning

Alterations

Kingfisher Business Centre Burnley Road Rawtenstall

(Kenyon Street—opposite cemetery gates)

Easy

pa

rkin

g Tel: O7434 734 077

With our Christian pilgrimage in mind….

Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point.

Because of God's grace, failure is never final.

Don't give up on yourself. Even Moses was once a basket case.


Beauty Treatments available Thursday, Friday & Saturday 63 Church Street Newchurch Rossendale

Open: Tuesday – Saturday Late Night – Thursday Good parking Proprietor: Natalie Ashworth Tel: 01706 216553 e.mail: [email protected]

www.geminihairandbeauty.com

Creative Professionalism

www.rolandsflorist.com

L. KELLY’S GARAGE TELEPHONE: 07512 373365

e.mail: [email protected]

From a scratch to accident damage

Paint restoration services

Alloy wheel refurbishment

Insurance work undertaken.

Collection and delivery available

Peel Street Rawtenstall BB4 7HP

mailto:[email protected]


THE BOARS HEAD NEWCHURCH

Proprietors: Margaret & Shaun

Fresh home cooked food served

Wednesday & Thursday 4.00—8.00pm

Friday, Saturday 7 Sunday 12.00—8.00pm

Warm and friendly welcome

All occasions catered for:

Birthdays, Christenings, Funerals & Weddings

Telephone: 01706 224751


Church Mouse’s jottings from the Parish Magazine

October 1917

In the October Magazine the Rector quotes the questions of Mr. H. G.

Wells:

“What are people making of the change of opinion that is going on in the tragic

process of this war? Is it producing any common understanding, any fruitful

unanimities?”

The Rector writes Most of us would at once say “Yes, there is one thing which is quite

clear, one thing for which we are fighting, not for ourselves only but for the world

and that one thing is Liberty. And what do we mean by Liberty? Politically, at all

events among the Allies, we might accept the Bishop of Oxford’s oft repeated phrase

“government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

And there was me thinking that this was said by Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg

Address, on November 19th 1863. But what do I, a simple church mouse, know?

Actually, very little, because just as I was congratulating myself that I knew more

than the Rector, who had an M. A., my Uncle, a senior Church Mouse of many years’

standing, informed me that in 1384, John Wycliffe wrote in the prologue to his

translation of the Bible, “The Bible is for the Government of the People, by the

People, and for the People.”

Some complaints never change: As things are going at present we shall soon have to

start a dictionary of abbreviations. It is impossible to understand a great deal of

what is written or spoken unless one has some idea of the “initials” by which people

try to perplex the uninitiated. One sometimes wonders whether people are not

trying to show their superiority in which case if there is no dictionary which we can

mug up in off moments the best thing to do will be to cultivate a sort of knowing

grin.

On November 13th at 7-45 p.m. there is to be a meeting at St. Mary’s School,

Rawtenstall, to be addressed by Miss Higson, of Liverpool. Subject: “Social Purity.”

This meeting is being promoted by the Mothers’ Union and the Girls’ Friendly Society

and all members are earnestly invited to be present.


Our District Nurse is in urgent need of soft white rag, for the use of her patients.

Parcels may be sent to Nurse Higgs, c/o Mrs. Cawood, Law Street, Newchurch.

We may never have realised how short were supplies of not only nursing materials,

but also of food during the Great War, as U-Boats took their toll of Allied merchant

shipping. The Church Monthly for October 1917 has the following recipe:

Spaghetti Meat Pie.

Spaghetti, a fine type of macaroni should be cooked in boiling salted water. Drain

well. Melt some dripping in a saucepan, add a little flour and milk or stock, mix and

blend well, then add any odds and ends of cooked meat mince and the cooked

spaghetti. When thoroughly stirred, place in a pie dish and serve sprinkled with

brown bread crumbs.

This is followed by an advertisement:

Old Artificial Teeth Bought. Any condition. 6d. per tooth pinned on Vulcanite, 2/-

each on Silver, 3/- each on Gold, 8/- each on Platinum.

S Cann & Co., 69a, Market St., Manchester.

I’m on my way now…….

Our needs will never exhaust God’s supply.

Everything is perfect coming from the hands of the Creator,

everything degenerates in the hands of man. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Prayer is often conceived to be little more than a technique for self-

advancement, a heavenly method for achieving earthly success. A W Tozer

Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a faith-lift.

WARNING: Exposure to the Son will prevent burning.

Though the Lord is out of sight, we are not out of His. M Henry

We may ignore, but we cannot evade, the presence of God. The

world is crowded with him. CS Lewis

History is a story written by the finger of God. C S Lewis

Ob

serv

atio

ns

on

ou

r fa

ith


If you would like to attend

one of the services or social

events please be assured of

a warm welcome.

Contact any of the people

listed on the back page or

simply turn up!

THANK-YOU to those who have contributed to this edition of our magazine.

Please let Christine have any articles, comments etc for the November edition

by Sunday 22nd October.

Flowers for October 1st Mrs B Silcox & Mrs M. Walsh (St. Michael) 8th Mrs J. Clegg

15th vacant 22nd vacant 29th vacant

THE CHURCH FAMILY

Baptism: 17th September Noah James WARD

Funeral: 15th September Damian William STUTTARD

Please remember especially these two families in your prayers.

If you would like to provide flowers for church please contact Mrs Constance Fisher (214530)

Answers to the worsearch...


DIARY FOR OCTOBER

Sunday 1st 10.30am Parish Eucharist . St Michael & All Angels (Michaelmas)

12.30pm Boar’s Head Lunch

Tuesday 3rd 9.15am Primary School Harvest Festival in church

Wednesday 4th 10.15am BCP Holy Communion

12noon Lunch. ‘Monthly Munchies’

Friday 6th From 9.30am Jolly Tots

7.00pm Harvest Supper & Quiz

Sunday 8th 10.30am Parish Eucharist: HARVEST FESTIVAL & Sunday School

Monday 9th 2.00pm Monday Club: ‘On yer bike’. A talk on cycling with Adrian Watts

7.00pm Flower Club


Time to be confirmed Trip to Blackpool illuminations

Sunday 15th 10.30am Parish Eucharist

12.30pm Baptism

Monday 16th 2.30pm Eucharist at Ashlands

Wednesday 18th 10.15am BCP Holy Communion. St. Luke

Sunday 22nd 10.30am Parish Eucharist

Monday 23rd 2.00pm Film Club: ‘K9’ (comedy)


7.30pm Narthex Experience

9.00pm Quiz at the Boar’s Head

Friday 27th 6.00pm Eucharist Ss Simon and Jude

Sunday 29th 10.30am Parish Eucharist:

ADVANCED NOTICE Save the Dates!

All Souls 2017:

Requiem Eucharist:

Thursday 2nd Nov 6pm

Remembering the Departed:

Sunday 5th Nov 5pm

Remembrance Sunday

Sunday 12th November 10.30am

Advent Fair

Sat 25th Nov 11am-2pm


Sunday Services Parish Communion 10-30 a.m.

Weekday Services Holy Communion Wednesday 10-15 a.m.

Saint’s Day Eucharist - see Diary

The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in church and the Holy Communion can be taken to the sick and house-bound by arrangement.

Clergy Revd Penny King The Rectory 539 Newchurch Road Newchurch Rossendale BB4 9HH E.mail: [email protected]

Telephone 211122 / 07393 420763

Churchwardens Mr Philip Booth Mrs Gill Sowerbutts

227389 219279

Church Administrator

Liz Pierce 07525 631 595

E.mail: [email protected]

St. Nicholas C.E. Primary School 229478

PCC members

The above plus

Tony Abbey

Iain Blair

Janet Booth

Barbara Edge

John Edge

Mitchell Lord

Julia Robertson

Jean Starkie

Adrian Watts

Caroline Watts

parish news - st nicholas church - newchurch · parish news october 2017 . st. nicholas hurch, ......

Documents