Snowshill Manor 2014

The

Broadsheet

To know Jesus better,

And to make Him better known

United Reformed Church,

77 High Street, Broadway

July 2014

Dear Friends

By the time you read this article in July the date of the return of our football team

from the World Cup will be old hat and if Wayne Rooney produced the goods it

would be yesterday’s news and we as a Church Family will be celebrating the

results of the Church Fete on the Green.

In June, as a Church we joined with our friends from the other Churches in

Broadway on the Village Green to celebrate Pentecost, and what a great time we

had rejoicing in the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world and the birth of the

Church. It was very appropriate when we think that Peter also stood outside in the

open air, ‘Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice

began to speak to the crowd. “Fellow-Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem,

listen to me and let me tell you what this means.” (Acts 2: 14-15 GNB)

Every time we drive out in the country there are signs pointing the way to open

gardens that one can visit. In fact when visiting the homes of our Church family I

see in their gardens the beauty of God’s creation and the hard work of those who

out of love have spent long hours attending the plants, their rest in winter along

with the summer sun has revitalised the plants into new life. At this point ,we as a

family want to thank Michael Eden for looking after the Manse garden. One of the

most famous gardens in ancient times was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

although there is a question mark about their existence, but one garden we do

know that is for real was the Garden of Eden. In Genesis we read that the first

recorded occupation of man is that of a gardener. Adam was given this job by God.

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in Garden of Eden to tend and keep

it”. (Genesis 2:15. NKJ). We know from the Bible that there were trees in the

Garden of Eden that produced fruit. But it was not until after the FALL did the

ground produce thorns and weeds, (not the Garden of Eden). Adam had a some-

what easy life looking after the garden, but after the Fall it was a different ball

game. Like all good gardeners and farmers today, he earned his living by the sweat

of his brow. ”In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread”.( Gen. 3:19 NKJ) Just a

thought here, did Adam eat food before the Fall?

The late Rev George B Duncan asks us, “If Christ indeed be the Gardener of our

souls, then His is the hand that plants; and His mind will have much to do with the

preparing of the soil, and then planting of the seed. His hand will be the hand that

prunes. The reason for the pruning is not to hurt but to help the plant, and the

results from the pruning will be a finer blossom or a greater harvest of fruit. If your

life is under the hands of the Gardner of our souls, then surely all will be well.

Our Community Outreach Activities A busy month as we engaged in joint community activities centred on the Broadway Festival and as a result we have come to better know organisations and people in the village and local area. There is more information about some of these initiatives later in this Broadsheet. Neighbours on Line has reached over 40 different people through its 12 sessions ,with them attending 118 times altogether . More people are now communicating by email with their families and friends and are comfortable with using the internet to follow their interests and seek information. Worcester County Council have asked us to provide case study examples of success and to help in the design and roll out of other ideas about tackling loneliness and digital skills. Health and well being is a major focus for society for people of all ages. Discussion with Wychavon Council and Rooftop Housing Group has confirmed that they are prioritising this area with funding and are interested in hearing ideas. We are forming a team to look at how we could re-model the kitchen in our hall to address this area of need. Now that we have several initiatives becoming well established, including Threads and Games Afternoons, we have an opportunity to raise awareness and encourage people to come. To do this we have used grant funding for new communications methods including table top information stands, flier dispensers, posters with Christian messages, and a large A-frame. Shortly we will be installing a large external notice board on the Hall and some signs directing people to the Hall and Jubilee Room. We invited the new Area Minister for Hereford and Worcestershire for a very useful meeting where we shared our ideas and obtained his insights and suggestions including funding. We have also invited the Synod Evangelist to visit us to seek his ideas and utilise his experience too, particularly regarding effective ways to develop faith in the community. Thank you for your ideas, prayers and involvement as we ask to reach out into the community and build on these initiatives. Mark

Do people see the beauty of Christ in us and want to learn more of the work of the

Great Gardener, Jesus Christ and what He can do in their lives ?

Please remember in your prayers many of our Church Family who are ill at this

time and also for those who because of their years find life difficult, unable to do

the things they would like and used to do.

Your friend Ken

Visitors Welcome - A Strange Co-incidence!

At Broadway URC we always extend a warm welcome to visitors to our Sunday Worship and are delighted when they are able to join us afterwards for refreshments and conversation in the Hall. In April I was talking with two such visitors, Stuart and Hazel Lees, and was interested to find they came from Ramsbottom, north of Bury in Lancashire.

This is the area where the ancestors of Brian, my husband, originate, and with our interest in Family History, we had traced the Nuttalls and some other family lines in that area back to the Seventeenth Century. Amongst them was a Presbyterian Minister, the Revd. Edward Rothwell (c.1665-1731), who, c.1711 had given the site for a Chapel and Graveyard in Nuttall Lane, Ramsbottom, where he had ministered for some years. Alas, that Chapel, also known as “Old Dundee”, is no more, but Nuttall Lane has become Dundee Lane. [Dundee is apparently a corruption of Donum Dei or Domus Dei, the gift or house of God, said to have been inscribed on the original building.]

The Presbyterian congregation later joined the Congregational Chapel further down Dundee Lane, the present Dundee URC – and our visitor Stuart Lees is its Church Secretary! Imagine our excited conversation when we discovered this link; we have since shared more information by correspondence, and I have been able to add a photo of a painting of “Old Dundee” to our Family Records.

Readers may be amused at the following: In 1996 when Brian and I visited the former Manse of “Old Dundee”, the present owner, Mrs. Barnes, kindly showed us round, including the large sitting room, built on the site of the old Chapel. Brian asked her where the Pulpit had been, and then told her that it is recorded that Edward Rothwell had been buried in front of the pulpit – no further record!!

Susan Nuttall

You are kindly invited by Doreen and Ken

to a

“Manse Garden Tea” on the 12th July 2014 from 2.30 pm,

If you require help with transport please speak to Christine Waller

Services for July and August

All services start at 10.30am followed by refreshments in the Church

Hall to which everyone is invited.

Sunday 6th July Allister du Plessis - The Leprosy Mission

Sunday 13th July Revd. Ken Martin - Communion

Sunday 20th July Jo Williamson - St. Michael’s Church, Broadway

Sunday 27th July Revd. Ken Martin

United Service at Methodist Church, Broadway

Sunday 3rd August Revd. Ken Martin - Communion

Sunday 10th August Revd. Arthur Kent

Sunday 17th August Revd. Ken Martin - Songs of Praise

Sunday 24th August Julie Jefferies

Sunday31st August Revd. Ken Martin

Elders Meeting 10th July

Church Meeting 20th July

Birthday Celebrations

7th July - Tim Huc , 21st July - Mavis Payne

26th July –Alex Peters, 6th August - John Tunwell

9th August - Margaret Harrington ,

25th August - Kathy Hancock, 27th August - Gladys Woodward

Duty Elder Christine Waller

Sunday 6th July

Welcome Doreen Martin

Reading Doreen Martin

Coffee Christine and Frank Waller

Flowers Dorothy Valentine

Sunday 13th July

Welcome Laura Holt

Reading Laura Holt

Coffee Ann Walters and Christine Kershaw

Flowers June Willn arranged by Christine Waller

Sunday 20th July

Welcome Joanne Griffin

Reading Joanne Griffin

Coffee Julie Stickler and Megan Thomas

Flowers Audrey Harrison

Sunday 27th July

Joint Service Methodist Church, Broadway

Thank you for helping. If you are unable to attend please swap with

someone else and alter the sheet in the vestibule so the Duty Elder knows

who to expect.

Duty Elder

Sunday 3rd August

Welcome Frank Waller

Reading Frank Waller

Coffee Judy Aiton and Pat Aberdein

Flowers Dorothy Cox arranged by Christine Waller

Sunday 10th August

Welcome Robin and Sue Jones

Reading Sue Jones

Coffee Muriel and Bill Nelson

Flowers Margaret Rubridge arranged by Val Williams

Sunday 17th August

Welcome Mark Pickering

Reading Mark Pickering

Coffee Margaret and Roger Harrington

Flowers Edna Hodges arranged by Christine Waller

Sunday 24th August

Welcome Michael Eden

Reading Michael Eden

Coffee Sheila Payne and Margaret Strange

Flowers Shirley Caddy

Sunday 31st August

Welcome Margaret and Roger Harrington

Reading Margaret Harrington

Coffee Joanne and Les Griffin

Flowers Julie Stickler

Our Traidcraft enterprise continues to do well. Figures are; April - £92.73, May - £83.72 and June - £94.03. We are having a stall at the Church Fete and, on this occasion, are allowed to take some revenue from it.

Many thanks to all those who support this monthly activity. If there is anything you especially want us to get, just let one of us know and we can usually obtain it for the Sunday. Pat Wallace and Judith Gibbons.

Dear Friends,

I'm sure that you'll be sorry to learn of the death of my sister Chris Bradshaw. She died yesterday morning, the 16th June at Watford General Hospital – and had been unwell for a year or more. She missed you and Broadway a good deal – as do we all. I thought that the congregation of your church which I attended whenever I was in Broadway will want to know. Anyone wishing to get in touch with me will be very welcome.

With kind regards, Yours,

John Wileman

If you would like to contact John please ask Christine for details.

School Children parade to fun and games

Children from the two schools in the village who we work with in Open

the Book made lanterns and set off from the URC in a procession to the

Green led by a stilt walker. There they enjoyed songs, fire throwing,

balancing tricks, and the fun and games organised by Pilots in their

gazebo. We were busy for the whole time and met some families new

to the village and as a result two of their children now come to Pilots.

Just to let people know that there is an Evesham Community Transport Service which also covers the surrounding villages, to provide drivers for hospital, doctors' appointments, and some other occasions if required. Telephone information is available on 01386 45035 between 9.30am and 1pm.

Margaret Harrington

The Parkinson’s Society is visiting Signpost on Thursday 24th July between 11am and 1pm. If you have any queries for them or would like to find out more about them do call in on that day.

The Village in a Church

Our church

joined in with

the whole

community as

groups set up

displays in St. Michael's. Neighbours on Line, Games Afternoon,

Church in Society, and Pilots all demonstrated what they do and

who their activities are for.

Pentecost Service on the Green

All of the churches in Broadway worked

together to create a well attended open air

Pentecost service on the Green.

The 100 or so people enjoyed the sunshine and

the stories of how people came to faith, what the hymns meant to the

people who chose them, and Pilots acted out how the Spirit of God can

transform someone - even a

robot!

A Prayer for Guatemala

We pray for :

Guatemala , a country of contrasts: with flooding and drought,

wealth and poverty, agricultural exports and food shortages

The two-thirds of the country’s school children who do not

complete primary school on time and where literacy levels are

closer to the average sub-Saharan Africa than to that of Latin

America: that all children may have access to education

The work by Christian aid partner Bethania as they educate

communities where around 70% of the indigenous children

under five suffer from chronic malnutrition.

In aid of Signpost – Broadway

Charity no. - 082114

On Sunday 17th August from 3.30pm to 5.30pm

at

Broadway United Reformed Church, Upper High

Street, Broadway

Entertaining People are presenting a

This will be followed by a leisurely

British cream tea

Tickets are £5.00 and can be bought from the Signpost Office

on a Monday or Thursday or else ring us on 01386 859029

If you missed Entertaining People’s concert last year make sure

you come this time!

REGULAR MEETINGS

Monday Girl Guides every week during term time

7pm—8.30.pm

(except the last Monday of the month when held at the Methodist Hall )

Gardening Club (Last Monday of month )

Tuesday Games Afternoon 1st Tuesday each month 2-4pm

Healing Service 2nd Tuesday each month 11am in URC Vestry

Tai Chi 6-8pm

Wednesday Beaver Scouts 6- 7.15pm

Music Makers 7.30 – 9.00pm

Thursday Cub Scouts 6- 7.15pm

Elders’ Meeting 7.30pm URC Vestry

( 2nd Thursday in month )

Friday PILOTS 6.30pm -8pm

Fun and activities in a Christian environment during term time for everyone aged 4 - 18.

All welcome whether or not they go to any church.

Sunday PILOTS extra! 10.30am -11.30am

For everyone aged 4 - 18.

Starts in the Church then in the hall for games, stories , pop and biscuits.

Broadway United Reformed Church

High Street , Broadway , Worcestershire. WR12 7AL

www.broadwayurc-worcs.org.uk

Minister Rev. Ken Martin 01386 247021

Outreach Development Worker Mark Pickering 07949 296 738

markp.broadwayurc@outlook.com

Secretary Christine Waller

Booking Secretaries Margaret and Roger Harrington

E-mail broadwayurc@outlook.com

Articles for the next Broadsheet can be sent to broadsheet.editor@hotmail.co.uk

or can be placed in the folder at the back of the Church

Closing date for articles is 10th August2014