Blakenall United Reformed Church


Newsletter

January 2012

Minister

Revd Wilbert Sayimani

Will be our new Minister and we look forward to welcoming him and his family.

Please direct enquiries to

Church Secretary

Ian Robertson

01922 634642 or

07956 829549

Notices January 2011




Pulpit Arrangements Services start at 11.0 am

Sunday January 1st Kath Phillips

Sunday January 8th Ges Murray Parade

Sunday January 15th Cynthia Dunn

Sunday January 22nd Revd Diana-Cullum Hall

Communion

Sunday January 29th Joint service for Pastorate at Broadway 10.30am

You will be most welcome to join us.

Porch and Offertory

Joan Gwinnett Gwen Smith


Elder Duty Maurice Phillips

Communion Servers

Jean Harper Maurice Phillips



Coffee Rota

1st January Lilian Mason

8th January Kath Phillips

15th January Judy Sumner

22nd January Sheila and Doreen Boucher

29th January Joint service at Broadway

January 2012 Editor’s newsletter


Dear Friends,

Happy New Year to everyone! Last year I can remember us recovering from deep snow falls and icy temperatures.

We hope this will be an exciting one as we embark on a new journey with Wilbert .I hope that you all enjoyed Christmas as a time when friends and families can get together.

This new year will be a challenge to us all as we try and move forward together as a church with our community.

How will we attract those new members to join our church?

How can we take the lead to our community and foster a thriving junior church which is the future membership for our church?

Certainly I see we need to offer support to schools near to us and perhaps nurture some closer links. Maybe some after school activities could provide some introduction to our Church?

The occasional distribution of a friendly newsletter to those homes that are near to our church could also bear fruit.

The coffee mornings have given a welcome boost to the social need for the community and the excellent Autumn concert brought many together for a real fund evening . The community around us can be encouraged to look upon our church as a centre of this community. There are opportunities for social enterprise and ideas that are in the new localism legislation that maybe churches can use. There are also community grants that can be applied for and run by a locally based community committee to decide on a spend in the area.

Many people will be finding their lives becoming more difficult to manage in 2012 as the cost of living rises and wages and unemployment rise also.

I believe it is a time when Christ’s message of hope, salvation and joy can sustain us in these difficult times. Please mull over the answers as you finish off those mince pies! Answers in the next newsletter!

Best wishes

Ian ( church secretary)

Other Dates for your January diary

Future dates


Tuesday 10th January Elders 7pm


Thursday 26th January 2pm Church AGM.


Jumble sale 16th January 2012 ….2 to 4pm.


There will be drop in coffee mornings on

10th and 24th January 11.am

Do come in and have a chat.. A friendly social!!


This month the Church will be praying especially for the people who live in the following streets :

Please note we have a prayer book on table for anyone to add names of those individuals who are in need of our prayers

Stanley Street Penderel Str Victoria Avenue Hamilton Str

Ryle Str