Monday, August 29, 2011

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



Friday, July 15, 2011

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.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

A welcome awaits you at Blakenal Church

June 2011 Editor’s and Church Secretary newsletter


Dear All,

I hope you all voted on May 5th? It was Archbishop Tutu who said anyone who thinks that religion and politics do not mix is reading a different Bible to me’ I do welcome the comments of those are ministers on the pathways and policies that various Governments implement Likewise it is great that those who lead us in Government indicate that they follow God… revelations of others whose various misdeeds on such items as expense claims fill me with despair along with the poor example that many in public life seem to show. Now I know many of us would not claim to be perfect but I am sure we can at least sleep well at night!

We can see that unfortunately relatively few local residents vote as well as not come to our church.. Some do not see either as relevant to their lives and joining in will make no difference to their lives and this appears to be especially true for many young people.

Somehow we have to communicate to them what a breath of fresh air will happen to their lives if they come to know God and Jesus better and how this will enhance their life here on earth. How to do this? While I do not follow their thinking the Jehovah's Witnesses do get out there knocking doors… as I have been doing canvassing for votes over the last three months… Now I will let you into a sort of secret.. We go for door knocking on those who have voted on the marked register only.. Pity there is not a marked register for those who have at some time been to church...however I am sure someone is watching!! Please give some thought on how we can recruit more to also ‘vote’ with their feet to be a Christian.

Regards

Ian

Ian editor.. 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

June message

Dear Friends,


This month we celebrate the birthday of the Church at Pentecost. With the poring out of the Holy Spirit the followers of Jesus were given an abiding resource to help them discern the will of God, to be strengthened for a difficult path through life and to build a community of believers that would endure.

We still have that same resource. It is the Holy Spirit who prompts each of us to attend worship. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us read the Bible with some level of understanding, and it is the Holy Spirit who binds us together into a community of love and care.

Pentecost is therefore a festival where we not just celebrate a birthday and remember the past. It is a festival for our present walk of life and for trusting God to lead us into the future.


In May, I went onto a retreat on Holy Island, and the opportunities I had there enabled me to gain some clarity about my future life and ministry. Holy Island is renowned for its Celtic spirituality, and looking at the beautiful pictures and prayers that come out of the Lindisfarne Scriptorium made me think how the twists and turns of Celtic patterns mirror the paths we take through life: how we have to turn around and face a new direction so many times in our lives; how we tend to stray from the narrow path that leads to Life and have to turn back again and again.

As we get older, change becomes a more daunting prospect, yet it is part of being human to have a wonderfully adaptable brain: unlike other animals, our brains take 20 years to develop, and even in old age we can still learn new things and adapt to new ways. This is how our Creator makes us able to follow the convoluted path signposted by the Holy Spirit.

So keep listening to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit and have a Happy Pentecost,

Franziska

Brownie meetings


Thursday evening 6pm to 7.30pm Girls between ages of 7 to 10 years For details please ring Fiona 01922 685063

Or Yvonne on 01922 682078

Brownies is the only uniformed organisation to meet on Thursdays..

This month the Church will be praying especially for the

people who live in the following streets :

Stanley Str.

Penderal Str.

Victoria Ave.

Hamilton Str.

Ryle Str.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

dates for events at Church

From the congregation at


Blakenall United Reformed Church

At the junction of Blakenall Lane & Chantry Avenue















Junior Church and the Crèche are held at same times as the Sunday service

Youth Club at present is not running but we would like to resume if there is support..

Keep fit Wednesday night 7.30 to 9pm

—————————————————————————

Beavers ( age 6-8) Mondays 6 to7 pm

Cubs ( age 8—10 1/2 ) Tuesday 7 to8 pm

Scouts ( age101/2 to 14) Monday 7 to 8.30pm

Explorer Scouts ( 14 –18) Monday 7—8.30pm

Contact Phil Webster 07515251962

—————————————————————————

Brownie meetings Thursday evening 6pm to 7.30pm

Girls between ages of 7 to 10 years

For details please ring Fiona 01922 685063

Or Yvonne 01922 682078

Church Secretary Ian Robertson 01922 634642 or 07956829549

Email robertsonic@hotmail.co.uk

Services for May

Notices May 2011




Pulpit Arrangements Services start at 11.0 am

Sunday 1st May Kath Phillips

Sunday 8th May Ges Murray



Sunday 15th May Frank Clare



Sunday 22nd May Ray Bunn

Sunday 29th May Rev Franziska Herring

10.30am At Broadway with Communion You will be most welcome to join us.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

April News

Notices April 2011


Pulpit Arrangements Services start at 11.0 am

Sunday 3rd April Ray Bunn (Mothering Sunday)

Sunday 10th April Rev Franziska Herring Parade

Commitment for life

Sunday 17th April Ges Murray

Thursday 21st Rev Franziska Herring 7.30pm

Maundy Thursday with communion

Friday 22nd April Good Friday Rev Franziska Herring

Sunday 24th April Easter Day Rev Franziska Herring

with Communion

You will be most welcome to join us.

Porch and Offertory
Bernard Wright Audrey Wright

Elder Duty
Ges Murray

Communion Servers
Cynth Murray and Ian Robertson

Coffee Rota
3rd Cynthia Murray

10th Sheila Wooton Doreen Boucher

17th Lilian Mason

24th Gwen Smith

Dear Friends,

As I am writing to you, we are half-way through Lent: through the period of preparing for Easter in whichever way each of us has chosen to mark it. Our Lent course is going well. We have so far had some very enjoyable and enriching discussions on the Lent course, and I am grateful to be able to experience the fellowship and depth of sharing here at Blakenall.

This year, it is Blakenall’s turn to host the Maundy Thursday Communion for the Walsall Pastorate. We hope we’ll have a good time of fellowship with one another and with our friends from Broadway and Hatherton. On the next day, Good Friday, we’ll have the Churches Together Walk of Witness in the morning and our traditional Frugal Supper in the evening.

And then Easter: arguably the greatest Church festival of the year! Easter reminds us that we serve a risen Saviour – that He is in charge of our community, and we can and must rely on His power too lead us into the future.

One week later, we’ll be looking forward to the Royal Wedding. We’ll have a party here at Blakenall in the afternoon. If recent social events like the Beetle Drive on 26th March are anything to go by, we’ll have an excellent time of fun and fellowship. And we’ll have more opportunities to grow together as a community of friends. A friendly and welcoming community is the prerequisite, if our church is to grow – both in numbers and in the spiritual maturity of all its members.

So do join us for all our April celebrations, and have a Happy Easter,

Franziska

Saturday 16th April


Congregational Social Evening in the Church Hall

Time 7 pm to approx 9pm

Tickets £1

Bring a Plate ( with goodies on it… to Share


Do you have any ideas for future Social Events?

Would you be willing to help at these events?

If you want Social Events it is up to you to support them if at all possible.

Why not bring a friend along?

regards

Yvonne

Church Social Secretary.

Invitation

To a Royal Wedding Party

At Blakenall United Reformed Church

On Friday, 29th April

3 pm

With a Bring and Share Tea

Contributions will be received towards our Chosen Charity
for you Royal Wedding Presents (the Manse Fund)
Other Dates for your April diary


1st April Lent Lunch – All Saints Noon
5th April Service at the Glebe Centre 1.30pm

7th April Lent Course 11.30am at Blakenall
And 7.30pm at Broadway

8th April Lent Lunch – Blakenall URC Noon

11th April Coffee Morning 11.00am

12th April Elders Meeting 7.30pm

14th April Lent Course 11.30am at Blakenall

And 7.30pm at Broadway

14th April F & M Meeting 7.30pm

15th April Lent Lunch – St Peters Noon

16th April Congregation Social & Bring a Plate of Food to share 7pm to 9pm

21st April Joint Maundy Thursday Communion at our Church 7.30pm

22nd April Walk of Witness 10.15am

22nd April Frugal Supper and Service 7.00pm

29th April Joint Pastorate “Royal Wedding Party & Donation 3.00pm

To Manse Fund” – Bring a Plate of Food to Share

Brownie meetings

Thursday evening 6pm to 7.30pm Girls between ages of 7 to 10 years For details please ring Fiona 01922 685063
Or Yvonne on 01922 682078

Brownies is the only uniformed organisation to meet on Thursdays..

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

Church Street Church View Close, Usk Close


any issues please ring Ian Robertson -01922 634642