Pastorate Newsletter | URC South Shields & Hebburn Pastorate

South Shields & Hebburn Pastorate

Autumn 2018

www.southshieldsandhebburnurc.org.uk.

Dear Friends,

I hope that you have enjoyed the summer and that we can start the new season refreshed. Our Local Mission and Ministry Review reports are one of the things we’ll be looking at over the autumn. We need to consider where we want the churches to be in 5 years’ time, and plan for that. At the same time, we need to pray that God will guide our thinking and planning, and that what we aim for is what God has in mind. So, I’ll be joining URC Ministers and others at the Keld Centre, for a conference entitled, ‘Changing places and the people within them.’ I’ve not been to the centre before, so I’m looking forward to it, as well as getting to know some folk from Northern Synod a bit better.

We are still studying the ‘Holy Habits’ from Andrew Roberts’ book. I imagine it approaches the theme of discipleship from a different angle from the conference. We pray we may see how we might fine-tune what we do, to enrich our own spiritual lives and the worship of the church, and find ways to more effectively share God’s love with others. If we are interested to find out more about God in Christ ourselves, we may draw others to Him too. It is said that ‘churches which intend to grow, tend to grow’, so let’s pray and plan for an exciting future!

In recent year the Churches have been promoting 1^st September to 4^th October as ‘Time for Creation’. I wonder whether, as Christians, we don’t share our concern and love for the natural world enough? After all, we believe that God placed the care and stewardship of creation in our hands, so looking after the environment and promoting its proper use are fundamental. Yet other faiths are known for their care of the world and we are not. Maybe that’s a song we could sing more loudly!

May God speak to you in times of prayer and praise.

May you rejoice in the beauty and drama of wind and wave.

May you give thanks for the bounty of the harvest

and may you see God at work in those around you.

God bless you always.

Helen

For your prayers …

We look back and thank you, God, for a hot summer and the opportunities it has brought. As we look forward, we praise you for your guidance, for the changing seasons of nature and of life, for growth and fruitfulness. Be with us in our celebrations of harvest and in our commemorations of war, lead us always in the paths of peace. Help us to care for the world in our care.

As we move into autumn, we pray for all those for whom there will be a new start ~ may it bring blessings. We pray for all those for whom there will be endings ~ may they bring reconciliation and new opportunities. We pray for all those whose lives just seem to carry on ~ may they know your companionship on the way.

We thank you for your Church and pray for guidance and inspiration as we seek to share your love with those around and seek your will for our future ~ may we flourish.

Thank you for family, friends and neighbours. As we bring them to you in prayer, we know that you understand their situations and their needs and that you love them.

We pray for ourselves, asking that our exploration of discipleship will enrich us and re-stimulate our mission and that you will draw us always closer to your heart.

We think of what we hear is going on in the news. We are conscious of difficulties in the community, in our nation and in the wider world. Guide us in our prayers.

God of love, God of peace, God of life, Creator God, we praise and adore you. Amen.

JOINT PASTORATE DIARY

September

1^st September – 4^th October each year: ‘Time For Creation’

4 August – 11^th November 2018: 100 Days of Prayer for the Nation

Sunday, 2^nd Revd James Breslin’s final service

Thursday 6^th – Sunday 9^th and Thursday 13^th – Sunday 16^th: Heritage Open Days

Saturday 8^th 10am – noon McMillan Coffee Morning at St Paul & St John’s

Sunday 9^th Great North Run. 10am Joint St Paul & St John’s and St Margaret’s

service at St Margaret’s. Giving out Jelly Babies from 11.30am till 1pm.

Monday 10^th Rosh Hashanah 5779 Jewish New Year

Wednesday 12^th Al Hijrah 1440 Muslim New Year

Saturday, 15^th Poetry @ P&J’s: WW1 Peace Poetry. Light refreshments.

10am – 1.30pm Coffee Morning at St Margaret’s in aid of Help for Heroes

Wednesday, 19^th Yom Kippur Jewish Day of Atonement

Sat 29^th 9.30am – 5pm ‘When – Not If’ Responding to Congregational Trauma, St James’ Newcastle. Lunch provided. See posters in church. Booking essential. Free.

October

Saturday 6^th 9.45am for 10.15am – 4.15pm Music Celebration Day, St Columba’s, York – see posters to book.

Sat 13^th 9.15am for 10am – 4pm Synod Meeting at Northgate, Darlington

13^th – 20^th End Hunger week

16^th – 18^th Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park, Surrey

Thurs 18^th Anti-Slavery Day care.org.uk/anti-slavery-day

Sat 27^th 10am – noon Guide Dogs for the Blind Coffee Morning at St Margaret’s

Sunday 28^th BST ends – clocks fall back. 11am Joint Pastorate service at St Paul & St John’s, led by Revd Helen Drummond

Wednesday 31^st All Hallow’s Eve

November

Thursday 1^st All Saints Day

Wednesday 7^th Diwali Hindu Festival

12.30pm South Tyneside Churches Together meeting at St Peter’s, Jarrow

Saturday 10^th Growing Leaders Taster Day – details tbc

Saturday 17^th 10am – noon St Paul & St John’s Christmas Coffee Morning

Saturday 24^th 2pm – 4pm St Margaret’s Christmas Bazaar

December

Saturday 1^st 10am – 4pm ‘Luke’s Gospel’ St James’, Newcastle, with Revd Dr Rosalind Selby. Take lunch.

Sunday 2^nd Advent begins

ST ANDREW’S NEWS

We continue to enjoy worship together and appreciate the words of wisdom and inspiration given to us each week by Revd. Helen Drummond, Mary Bullock and visiting lay preachers. We are very grateful for the support given by all.

LMMR – Our review took place on 11th June and was well supported by those members who were able to attend. The team were encouraged by the enthusiasm of responses given and were able to obtain a good understanding of our spiritual needs.

As with all the churches in Northern Synod, we await the decision regarding our future and the ‘Way Forward’.

The Annual Ecumenical Summer Songs of Praise is usually held in Fountains Park at 5.30 pm. It was decided to change the venue to the Shopping Centre at the earlier time of 2 pm. Despite the change of time and venue, the event was well supported by all Hebburn Churches.

Dorothy Thom celebrated her ‘special’ birthday on Saturday 9th June with a garden party. A delicious array of sandwiches and home-made cakes, made by Dorothy’s family, were served in the beautiful surroundings of her son’s garden. It was a memorable sunny day, which was enjoyed by all.

Donations in lieu of gifts were collected for St Clare’s Hospice.

We continue to hold our monthly Bible Study sessions reviewing and discussing the ‘Holy Habits’ book. Our discussions have helped give us a clearer understanding of the book.

The next Bible Study will be Thursday 27th September at 6.30 pm, at the home of either Dorothy Thom or Anne Taylor.

As always, we remember our friends who are unable to attend church, you are all in our thoughts and prayers.

Best wishes,

Sheila McNabola

ST PAUL & ST JOHN’S NEWS

QUIZ NIGHT

Hope the fine weather during the summer break in August has been good for all.

Quiz Night starts again on the first Friday of the month, 7^th September, at 7pm.

As usual there will be a faith supper and a raffle. Contribution is £1. Thank you to Colin Bird and many others who have helped in supporting the evenings.

7^th September Margaret and Brian Slater

5^th October Margaret Shields and Liz

2^nd November Jane Alderson.

June Blythman

SPORTS CLUB

Sports Club starts again on 4^th September after the summer break in August.

The weather has been good, so I hope all the members come back refreshed and ready to enjoy the sports on offer.

So, every Tuesday from 7.30pm – 9.30pm there is table-tennis, carpet bowls and snooker with plenty of chat during the tea-break at 8.30pm.

Thanks again to Colin Bird and Maurice Gibbons for all the work they have done for the club.

June Blythman

Thank You

Alan and I would like to say thank you for the good wishes and prayers after our hip replacements. We really appreciated the kindness shown and the get-well cards, flowers and visits during our recovery. We are progressing well and hope to be able to get out and about again.

June Blythman

ST MARGARET’S NEWS

HARVEST WEEKEND

The Harvest Coffee Morning will be on Saturday 6^th October from 10am till noon and will be raising funds for Christian Aid. On Sunday, 7^th October we have our Harvest worship. Tinned goods etc will be given to the Key Project.

Brenda Brownless

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR

The Christmas Bazaar will take place on Saturday, 24^th November at 2pm. Please keep this day free as we will need the help of all Church members and their ever-willing families and friends to help make this the success it has been in the past.

Anyone willing to help please give their name to Carol Asker, Sylvia Briggs or Hazel Singleton, especially if they are willing to man a stall or help with teas. Thank you.

Operation Christmas Child (Shoeboxes)

Leaflets will be out soon with ideas to fill your boxes. Please take one and show that St Margaret’s cares about this appeal. The filled boxes need to be back in church by Sunday, 4^th November.

Brenda Brownless

RAINBOWS

First of all, many thanks to all those who attended our Coffee Morning and braved sitting outside in the sunshine. It was a fabulous morning.

The Rainbows have again been very busy last term doing lots of activities and team building exercises.

We ended the term going to the Dunes Bowling and playing Ten Pin Bowls which the girls thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks again to Laura Ridley who stayed to help out on the evening.

We start back again on September 11^th after a lovely break.

Once again if you know anyone who wishes to be on the waiting list for joining they must go on the Girl Guiding site to register. We still have a long waiting list so please put their name down earlier rather than later, you do not have to wait until they are 5 years old.

Linda Fernandez, Rainbow Guider

BROWNIES

Brownies have had another active term, completing a total of 4 badges. Our first badge was the book lover badge. We visited the new South Shields library ‘The Word’ where there was and still is a Monster exhibition. We viewed the monster exhibition, which is fabulous (you must visit it), we followed a monster trail, used the gaming zone, created a design on the media wall, made a book mark and chose some books to take home. The girls thoroughly enjoyed all of it.

The second badge that they did was a new badge through the Guiding Association called Future Girl. Brownies had the chance to share their ideas, think of ways to improve the world around them and tell the guiding association about the issues they really care about. This was done through activities and reported back through a survey. They all received a Future Girl badge for participation.

The third badge was the Hostess Badge. The girls used our coffee morning to earn this badge. They had sent out invitations, made menus, made a table decoration and served on the day. We had glorious weather that day, so we held it outside. It was well supported by the parents and of course yourselves. The twelve girls did extremely well and I was very proud of them.

Also, we have recently applied for a Blue Peter badge for recognition of achievement. The girls were really keen to express why they deserve one by writing a letter and drawing or writing a story. Hopefully they will receive this badge for the new term in September.

To finish off the term, we visited the Simonside Climbing Wall. This was a great success with the girls, they all loved it! Even those who thought they couldn’t do it, managed to climb the wall some of them going to the very top, which was really high.

Brownies are now enjoying a well-deserved break for the summer and I am planning more adventures in September. Hope you’ve all had a lovely summer.

Julie Elliott, Brownie Guider

GUIDES

The Guides completed their ‘football go for it’ and team player badges with our World Cup party in June. We have had our annual barbecue and as usual it was very wet! Played lots of games and finished with a pizza party. The girls just like to EAT!!!!

Thank you to everyone who supported our Rainbow, Brownie and Guide coffee morning in July. I think it’s been the first time we had it outside and I had to try to stop everything on the cake stall from melting.

Sadly, on our last night we said goodbye to Ashleigh who was a guide and never left. She continued as a young leader, then helper and completed her warrant, then an assistant guider and she opened her own Guide unit at St Marks and St Cuthbert’s. So, after over 15 years she has decided to do a university course which is on a Tuesday evening and has had to leave. We all would like to say a massive Thank You for all the help you have given me over the years.

I have also decided to retire at Christmas after helping, then running the Guides for 30 years. There is a completely new programme starting soon which involves lots of training and I feel I am too old to start again, so unless we can find someone to take over the unit it will have to close. If you know anyone who would like to run a very active Guide unit who would receive full training and support, please let me know as I hope the Guides will not have to close.

Katie Wilkes, Guide Guider

TODDLERS AND CARERS

Before we broke up for the six weeks school holidays we held a lovely party to say farewell to some of our older children who are moving on to Nursery schools. We look forward to seeing new children from our waiting list at our first meeting back on 5^th September.

All the helpers received a lovely gift of flowers and chocolates as a ‘Thank you’ for being there every Wednesday for all the families, from all the families.

THANK YOU

Garden Party

The Garden Party held on 4^th August was a great success, raising £605 for church funds. The weather was glorious, and the community did us proud. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make this possible.

Hazel Singleton

Thank you for money raised for church funds

10^th June Gift Day – £1,115

7^th July Coffee Morning run by the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides – £252

4^th August Garden Party – £605.

Donations from Coffee and Chat mornings on Sundays and Thursdays

£30 was given to each of the following:

Seeds of Hope Uganda Mission 2018,

The British Red Cross,

Grace House Hospice,

Heel and Toe,

Glen Corner Trust.

Red Box

Our Red Box of food items etc. was given this time to HOSPITALITY AND HOPE for their Food Bank Appeal and with the help of the Age UK girls it was a very good help. A big thank you to all who contribute in this way.

Clothes for Africa

A big ‘thank you’ from Solomon for five lovely big bags of shoes and clothes he collected from us at St Margaret’s and extra friends too, plus our £30 donation.

Brenda Brownless

An old Sunday School Rhyme found by Ian Drummond

This is the way the disciples run,

Peter, Andrew, James and John,

Philip and Bartholomew,

Thomas next and Matthew too,

James the less and Judas the greater,

Simon the Zealot and Judas the traitor.

A Poem

Unheard Cries

War is an abomination started by man

Free will was given, Love was God’s plan

No matter your colour, no matter creed

You’ve got what we want, not what we need

So we’ll take it by force because of our greed