news update

Wyn Taylor




We are all saddened at the news that Wyn Taylor has died on 18th December. Wyn was a deeply committed Christian and an inspiration to us all leading this Church as an Elder over many years. I am sure many Church members and friends would like to pay tribute to her memory and give thanks for her life of Christian witness. If you wish to do so, I will be pleased to publish these in due course. In the meantime our thoughts and sympathies are with her family. ….. Ian

Wyn you will be sadly missed by us both  - God Bless You - Cynth & Ges

Maurice and I would like to say how welcoming Wyn was to us when we first joined. She encouraged us tremendously. She was such a lovely warm and caring person a true Christian to the end. We shall miss her warm lovely smile and friendly greeting. May she rest in Eternal Peace.

Kath and Maurice



What a friend I had in Wyn
Win was not only a friend but an advisor, helper, consoler and everything else you needed in your life.
We had great times together, one of which was doing the Credit Union which we believe helped a lot of people in the community. Win struggled for as long as she could to help man the collection point as Christchurch and she will be sadly missed by all the people there as well.
After Credit Union we would go shopping (not recently) when Win would drool over the fresh cream cakes which she was not allowed as she was diabetic and I would bring a smile to her face working out the best prices of the goods.
You could always confide in Win and she would help you see things in a different light.
I can't tell you how much I shall miss Win for many, many reasons but God bless you Win and as you used to say He will and I am positive He will for the wonderful life you lead.
Your very dear friend Jean xxx


Dear Friends,


        Ian asked if I would like to send you a message in the newsletter for January.  I do hope that all is well with you and that Christmas has been a time of peace as you have shared together in the story of "God with us" once again.

      I know that it has also been a time of sadness as we mourn for our dear friend Wyn.  She has been a pillar of the church, a huge encouragement to so many people and her sensitive intercession prayers have helped and comforted us all.  We give thanks for her life and rejoice that she has been welcomed home by her Saviour.

     May God be with each one of you in the coming year, guiding and leading you.

Love and blessings,

Diana
Dear Friends,


The Christmas season is coming to an end, and the legacy of Christmas is upon us. To me it means becoming more aware of the difference the birth of our Saviour is making to each of our lives and working out just how to follow Jesus day by day.

This year, we are in the “Year of Evangelism” in the Vision4Life Cycle, and that means we will all need to acquire and practice the skills of sharing the Good News.
We will be getting the first batch of targeted help on Saturday, 22nd January. A team from Synod will be visiting our area on that day, coming to Broadway URC to give us some Evangelism Training. This is not just for officers of the church, but for anyone who is not quite sure of the best way to share their faith story with friends and neighbours. If you want some useful pointers where and how to begin with this task, you will be most welcome to come along to the morning session, beginning at 10 am.
After a soup lunch – and the opportunity to eat your sandwiches in the company of church friends from all of the Black Country Area – the Moderator Roy Lowes and a team of Synod Officers will visit us for the afternoon for a Synod Road Show. We’ve had a special weekend, Making the Synod Sizzle, last March, and this Road Show will be the opportunity for those who did not get to it to receive some first-hand feedback.
There will also be surgeries, where the Synod officers will be available to speak with us on the work of Synod and some of the help Synod can give to us, from working out a fair financial balance, through supporting our youth work and lay training, to strategies for church growth and mission work.

Finally, we will be able to share stories relating to the areas of church life closest to our hearts, from membership issues to the working out of team ministry.

It would be great if as many as possible of our friends and members were able to come to either the morning or the afternoon of January 22nd, or even to both. A good attendance at this event is a crucial basis to renewing our vision for the Walsall Pastorate and becoming quite clear where Jesus wants to lead us in 2011.
You may be aware that at the point of writing this, it is 5 months since Diana retired, and the vacancy for the pastorate has still not been declared: officially nobody knows we are looking for a new minister. The main sticking point is the inadequate state of our Manse and the difficulty of deciding what to do about it, and how to finance any work that needs doing. Over the past few months there has been some hard work done on our behalf, and a preliminary plan of action has been worked out and sent off to Synod. This will now need to be agreed by all three churches and by Synod, who will pay at least half the cost of the work. Once the plan is agreed, the vacancy can be declared and we will need to raise funds for the work as well as look for a new minister. May God guide us and empower us through all these stages, so that we will have the chance of finding the minister to Walsall whom God wants call into our midst.

May God bless your journey through the New Year,

Franziska