Congratulations to super scout Ges Murray





Welcome to super scout Ges Murray
Congtratluations and thanks for all that loyal service to young people.

  

May events

Notices May 2012




Pulpit Arrangements Services start at 11.0 am

Sunday 6th May Cynthia Dunn

Sunday 13th May Kath Phillips

Sunday 20th May Frank Claire

Sunday 27th May Ges Murray

( communion)

You will be most welcome to join us.

Porch and Offertory

Lilian Mason and Audrey Wright



Elder Duty

Ian Robertson



Communion Servers



Kath and Maurice Phillips



Coffee Rota

Sunday 6th May Kath Phillips

Sunday 13th May Cynthia Murray

Sunday 20th May Sheila Wooton Doreen Boucher

Sunday 27th May Joan Gwinnett Gwen Smith

Other Dates for your May diary and Future dates




Elders 2nd May 7pm. Church Meeting 24th May 2pm

Elders 6th June Elders 4th July Church Meeting 26th July

Elders 5th Sept. Church Meeting 27th September

Elders 3rd October Elders 7th Nov

Church Meeting 22nd November

Elders 5th Dec Elders 9th Jan 2013

Church Meeting AGM Jan 2013 31st

Coffee mornings 2nd and 4th Mondays 11 am

15th June Jumble sale 2pm.

Summer fair 23rd June: Gift day in September

Autumn concert KB and YM:

Christingle 24th December:

Induction Wilbert 19th May 11am at Broadway:

Church meetings last Thursday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November):

AGM 31st January 2013:

Services to work with other 2 churches. We normally have parade 2nd Sunday and Communion 4th Sunday, Memorial service in June, Anniversary Service in September. 5th Sunday to continue to be joint service.

There will be drop in coffee mornings on :

8th and 22nd May 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 :

Severn Rd Harden Rd Barracks Lane Green Rock Lane.

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

April news

Notices April 2012




Pulpit Arrangements Services start at 11.0 am

Sunday 1st April Kath Phillips Palm Sunday

Sunday 8th April Easter Day Ges Communion

Sunday 15th April Wayde favourite hymns

Sunday 22nd April Rev Roy Lowes

( communion)

Sunday 29th April Joint Pastorate at Hatherton URC

You will be most welcome to join us.

Porch and Offertory

Marion Ellis Yvonne McMillan

Elder Duty

Kath Phillips



Communion Servers

Ges Murray Ian Robertson



Coffee Rota

1st April Kath Phillips

8th April Lilian Mason

15th April Cynthia Murray

22nd April Jean Gwinnett Gwen Smith

29th April joint service at Hatherton URC

29th April



Revd Wilbert Sayimani


Latest news is that Wilbert has applied for his visa but sadly his wife’s father died suddenly which has delayed progress in the application.

The date of Saturday 19th May has been suggested as a possibility for the Rev Roy Lowes to take the induction service which may be at 11am. The invite letters will go out very soon when everyone agreed! With the caveat that this may have to be altered again if further delays happen with the visa for Wilbert and his family.

We shall pray that this is resolved as soon as possible.

The secretary will post details on notice board as soon as possible and details announced in the notices for church services

Future dates




Thursday 29th March Church meeting 2pm.

Thursday5th April Communion service Broadway URC 7.30pm

Friday 6th April Good Friday Walk of witness Bloxwich Park to All Saints 10am

7pm Bread and cheese followed by short service

Thursday 26th April F and M


There will be drop in coffee mornings on :


1st April and 23rd April

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 :

Foster Street Dawson Street Thames Road

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

March newsletter

Notices March 2012




Pulpit Arrangements Services start at 11.0 am

Sunday 4th March Frank Claire

Sunday 11th March Mike Smith

Sunday 18th March Wayde Lefevre ( Mothering Sunday)

Sunday 25th March Ges Murray ( communion)



You will be most welcome to join us.

Porch and Offertory

Bernard Wright Ray Moorhouse



Elder Duty

Ges Murray



Communion Servers

Wayde Lefevre and Jean Harper



Coffee Rota

4th March Judy Sumner

11th March Cynthia Murray

18th March Audrey wright

25th March Sheila Wright Doreen Boucher



March Editor’s newsletter


Dear Friends,

We start a new year with the arrival of our new Minister Revd Wilbert Sayimani and his family due early April. I am sure we will all be rallying round to help him . He has passed easily his English exam and is now applying for a visa for himself and his family. He is intending to leave for Walsall around 8th April and the date pencilled in for his induction is Saturday 21st April 4pm at Broadway. Do put this in your diary. It looks fairly definite …!



The Manse is now ready and our part of the welcoming will be to provide some immediate food to stock the larder!!



Despite the troubles we face at home, the dreadful situation for the people in Syria must give us all serious concerns. ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” is the quote that comes to mind..



The latest report by Amnesty International makes depressing reading:

Humanitarian aid agencies must be allowed immediate and unhindered access to Homs and other affected areas, Amnesty International said today.

The Bab ‘Amr district of the city has come under intensive shelling for more than 17 days, during which time Amnesty has received the names of 465 people reported to have been killed in Homs.

Residents of Bab ‘Amr have told Amnesty that the shelling and exchanges of fire have destroyed the electricity and water networks, and there is little prospect of them being restored. Because of the lack of electricity, residents are unable to refrigerate food, adding to already severe shortages of food, including babies’ milk.

The area is also facing a critical shortage of medical supplies and medical personnel. Some of those who spoke to Amnesty said that there was now only one doctor providing medical treatment in the makeshift clinic in Bab ‘Amr.

I am sure you will join me in praying that good men and women will act now

Best wishes

Ian ( church secretary)

Other Dates for your March diary




Future dates



Elders Thursday 8th March 7pm.

Thursday 29th March Church meeting 2pm.

Thursday 26th April F and M

Lent Course at Broadway 2012 7.30p.m.



Thursday 23rd February 2012

Thursday 1st March 2012

Thursday 8th March 2012 – but it’s our ELDERS meeting

Thursday 15th March 2012

No Lent course on 22nd March 2012

Thursday 29th March 2012



There will be drop in coffee mornings on :

12th and 26th March 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 :

Booth Close Guild Avenue Hollemeadow ave, Blakenall Lane

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

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

News for September

Wednesday 7th September Joint elders with Broadway and Hatherton


Church Meeting Thursday 22nd September 2pm.



There will be drop in coffee mornings on

Monday September 11th 11am

Saturday 17th September 11am to 1pm Gift Morning

Monday 26th September. At 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 :


Severn Rd, Harden Rd,

Barracks Lane, Green Rock Lane
Notice for all members of the congregation




Thanks from Franziska

Dear Friends

Thank you so much for the friendly farewell you gave me and for your lovely presents

The cake was beautiful– thank you Jean!- and the vase is something I will always treasure as a re minder of you. And the tray will be a very useful reminder of your beautiful building.

My God bless you in your future walk of discipleship and in your search for a new minister

Love to you all

Franziska.



Notice of appeal Saturday in September

There will be a special gift morning with coffee on

Saturday 17th September from 11am to 1pm

The overspend of our reserves continues to run at about £1300. We are hoping that everyone who loves our Church and wants to respond to Jesus’ love in their lives will come along and give a contribution to help with our finances.

Please bring your family and friends to the morning to support the work of the church.

God bless you all

The Elders.
September 2011 Editor’s newsletter


Dear Friends,

August was the month of Ramadan when those who follow the Koran fast during the hours of daylight and join together for a meal at sunset. We put on a free meal on Friday 12th August in St Paul’s car park for about 100 invited guests coming from the disadvantaged in Walsall… a lovely atmosphere and the current Mayor Clrl Garry Perry and the Mayoress joined us to help serve the meal. One of the 5 pillars of Islam is to give and share with the less fortunate than ourselves and this event was run by myself as a director of a ‘Christian’ charity with St Paul’s as the church along with Midlands International Aid Trust and Mohammed Aslam MBE who represents a mainly Muslim charity here in Walsall. The significance of these two charities joining together to welcome those disadvantaged members of our society during Ramadan for the last 4 years shows that we all care about our fellow human beings whatever their beliefs or status in life. My colleague Aslam is off to the refugee camps in Kenya taking some large donations to directly help those who have really hit rock bottom with the war and the drought. Hopefully we shall do some more fund raising during September with a street collection on Saturday 17th September in Walsall Town centre… if you can spare a hour or so to rattle a tin please contact me… the money will go direct with no overheads to help those in the Horn of Africa and I can report back on exactly where the money is spent and who benefited. The mosques during Ramadan will be donating some £20K for this cause which is wonderful to evidence people practising what they preach!!

Regards

Ian

My home number is 01922 634642 and mobile 07956 829549

You can email me on robertsonic@hotmail.co.uk Please feel free to call me

July News

Pulpit Arrangements Services start at 11.0 am

Sunday 3rd July Ges Murray

Sunday 10th July Revd Franziska Herring

Sunday 17th July Ges Murray

Sunday 24th July Revd Franziska Herring

Sunday 31st July Geoff Owen.

You will be most welcome to join us.
Dear Friends,


How time flies! It is time to write my last newsletter greeting to you – a year since Diana retired, and hopefully not too long before you get a new minister.

In March 2009, you gave me a party in recognition of five years of ministry, and you presented me with a grape vine. This was duly planted in my garden and has now nicely taken root. What a lovely surprise to see it produce its first flowers this week! They look just like miniature bunches of grapes.

There must be a deeper meaning in this observation!?? I have thoroughly enjoyed my nearly eight years with you, and I am sure my faith has grown in leaps and bounds. As we now go our own separate ways, I will always remember you as friends and fellow travellers. We may be apart, but we will remain branches of the same Vine, which is Jesus Christ our Lord.

And perhaps now is the time to look for fruit that might come from out time together? The fruit on my grape vine is still nothing more than a promise and there will still need to be a lot of sunshine and rain before I can taste it.

Our Lord will need to lead us all through a lot more highs and lows before the fruit of our faith is ripe – but the promise is there. Thanks be to God.

Perhaps I can send you a picture when the first bunch of grapes is ready to eat.

God bless you all,

Franziska
AUTUMN CONCERT


It is hoped to put on a concert in which all groups and individuals people using the church take part.

The date is Saturday 15th October 2011

Start at 7.0pm

What can you do???

Sing , give a Keep fit demonstration; Dance, read a poem, play an instrument… the list is endless…

If you or your group are willing to take part can you let Yvonne know by the weekend of Saturday/Sunday July 9th/10th

You can either phone Yvonne on 01922 682078

Or leave a note on the table in the vestry.

It is hoped that this will show how we can all pull together to make such an event work!!

Yvonne

Church Social Secretary

Bake A Cake Monday

On Monday 4th July— under Jean’s guidance– there will be a CAKE –BAKE afternoon from 2pm onwards.

This afternoon could be seen as the Guide Motto which says ‘ Be Prepared’ so other members of the congregation can help with the baking of cakes for sale on Sundays and at other social events.

Come and join us for the afternoon. All welcome

There will be a sheet put up on the notice board and if you would like to come along

PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME DOWN so that Jean knows some idea of numbers attending

Many thanks

Yvonne

Social Secretary Now is your chance to learn the trade secrets of that lemon drizzle cake! … Ian


13th Bakeathon for Christian Aid

Many thanks to everyone who helped raise £1435.56 this year for Christian Aid.

Whatever you did either donating money, ingredients, made cakes or bought or sold them.. It all helped to raise this wonderful total.

This money will help a lot of people have better lives especially in Nicaragua where the people there have worked together to build a better future.

Many thanks for your support Jean Harper.