1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Regular Weekly Events and Meetings
at London Street unless otherwise stated
Mondays
10am - 1.30 pm
2.30 - 4pm
Tuesdays
10am - 1.30 pm
10am
3 - 6pm in Term
Time
5.45pm
7pm
7pm
Wednesdays
10am - 1.30 pm
10.30 - 12 noon
12.15 - 12.45pm
Thursdays
10am - 1.30 pm
9.30 - 11.30am
OASIS CAFE in the Concourse
HOME GROUP normally at 39 New Road:
prayer time, Bible exploration and fellowship
OASIS CAFE in the Concourse
‘LITTLE ANGELS’ pre-school Club
YOUTH CAFE for secondary school and
college students
BEAVER SCOUTS - 8th Basingstoke Colony
CUB SCOUTS - 8th Basingstoke Pack
SCOUTS - 8th Basingstoke Troop
OASIS CAFE in the Concourse
MEMORY TREE SOCIAL CLUB
WORSHIP and PRAYERS in the Church
2.30 - 3.30pm
3 - 6pm in Term
Time
7.30pm
OASIS CAFE in the Concourse
TADLEY LITTLE ANGELS in the Immanuel
Centre
CCBBies Parent and Toddler Group at Christ
Church, Chineham
FRIENDSHIP HOUR - Open to all adults
YOUTH CAFE for secondary school and
college students
PRAYER MEETING at Tadley URC
Fridays
8 - 9.30pm
TGIF Youth Club at Christ Church, Chineham
Saturdays
8 - 9am
PRAYER MEETING at Tadley
10 - 11.30am
LONDON STREET UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
BASINGSTOKE, HAMPSHIRE RG21 7NU
and
TADLEY (OLD MEETING) URC
London Street URC, Basingstoke seeks to ensure that all content and
information published in this issue of FOCUS is current and accurate. The
information included does not in any way constitute legal or professional
advice and the church cannot be held liable for actions arising from its
use.
London Street United Reformed Church is a working name of Registered charity
London Street (Basingstoke) United Reformed Church Charity [reg. no. 1130801]
24.
FOCUS
May, 2015
Other Dates to note at London Street
unless otherwise stated:
CHURCH DIRECTORY
Tel: 01256 477070
Website - www.londonstreeturc.org.uk
MINISTER:
MAY, 2015
Sun 3rd
Revd Kay Blackwell (Day off - Monday)
6 Camberry Close
Basingstoke RG21 3AG
Tel:
Vestry - 01256 242152
Mobile - 07582 056286
e.mail - [email protected]
CHURCH SECRETARY:
Mrs Joy Williams
9 Montague Place
Basingstoke RG21 3DS
Tel: 01256 326746
e.mail - [email protected]
TREASURER:
Karen Bell
47 Tobago Close, Popley,
Basingstoke RG24 9PX
e.mail - [email protected]
HALL LETTING:
Mr Peter Bentall
43 Cliddesden Road,
Basingstoke RG21 3EP
Tel: 01256 475547
e.mail: [email protected]
FOCUS:
Mrs Christine Robertson
1208, Skyline Plaza, Alencon Link,
Basingstoke RG21 7AZ
Tel: 01256 86996
e.mail: .
.
. .
.
Tadley (Old Meeting) URC
10.30 every Sunday
“TASTE” Youth Event at 7 pm in the Immanuel Centre
Minister:
Revd Kay Blackwell
Church Secretary:
Paul Gross
22 Pelican Road, Pamber Heath RG26 3EN
Tel: 0118 970 0809
e.mail: [email protected]
Treasurer:
Mark Ward
12 Hartleys, Silchester, Reading RG7 2QE
e.mail: [email protected]
2.
8.30am Prayer Breakfast
10.30am Worship - The Minister
Wed 6th
7.30pm Elders’ Meeting
7.30pm Talk by Roland Pletts (see page 5)
10.30am Worship - Revd John Whitton
Fri 8th
7.30pm Talk by Roland Pletts
th
th
Sun 10 - 16
Christian Aid Week
Sat 16th
Church Growth Conference at London Street
National Pilots’ Day at West Midlands Safari Park
Sun 17th
10.30am Worship, including Holy Communion - The
Minister and Christian Aid Speaker
Deadline for contributions for June Focus
Thu 21st
2.30pm Friendship Hour - Speaker: Robert Taylor
from the Sebastian Trust
th
Sun 24
10.30am Worship - The Minister
1.00pm
Commissioning Service for the Child
Contact Group
th
Wed 27
7.30pm Church Meeting
th
Thu 28
2.30pm Friendship Hour - Speaker from the RNLI
th
Sat 30
3.30 TOP OF TOWN MESSY CHURCH
5.30pm
Fun, food, Bible stories and music for
all the family (Children must be
accompanied by an adult).
ADVANCE NOTICES:
2nd June
7.30pm
Visit by Brother Yun, The Heavenly Man
(see page 7).
13th June
7.15 pm An evening with Adrian and Bridget Plass
(see page 7).
19th June - 12th July
Basingstoke Festival
Mission Statement
“To Live God’s Love in Church and Community”.
23.
Come join in the story of the spiritually unexpected – a reminder of
how God is able to do great things in us and through us when we
open ourselves to his presence.’
Forgive me for using an American term, but this book is awesome.
It is a wonderful, compelling book, just wow! It is an experience
that will quite literally blow your mind. I am not ashamed to admit
that parts of this book brought me to tears. It has to be one if not
the, most amazing Christian book I have ever read. It is not one of
those ‘a miracle a minute’ books. You will read how very real
today God is in ordinary everyday people's lives and the
opportunity for those having read it to change their own lives in
perhaps ways that they may not have foreseen or understood.
I picked up this book to read just for 30 minutes or so after my
lunch on Easter Saturday. It gripped me immediately and 2 hours
later I was halfway through. I finished reading the book on Easter
Sunday evening. I have yet to speak with Kay as she is now on
holiday for a week with her family but I feel compelled to put
together this review on the morning of Easter Monday before I go
away on holiday. Before Kay gave me this book to read, I knew
nothing about it and very little about Ffald-y-Brenin, other than
some from London St. have visited the Centre and the staff of
Oasis Café use the rhythm of daily prayer provided by the Centre
in their daily worship. Based on the experiences I have read in the
book, I have a very strong desire, no a need, to visit the Centre. In
some ways the thought of doing so on my own without the physical
presence of friends from London St. frightens as well as excites
me. This gem of a book has really gripped me and I can't
recommend it highly enough.
I will now return the book to Kay, but I shall order 3 copies before I
do so. One for myself as I want to read this again, and the copies
I shall give to two people who are very close to me, and I pray that
they will find the time in their busy lives to read it and be
encouraged to see the transformation that can happen to ordinary
people.
22.
View from the manse —
Why does the Holy Spirit come?
The day of Pentecost (24th May) is often termed as the birthday of
the church. Pentecost is the day we remember the coming of the
Holy Spirit to the Apostles. The term Pentecost is the Greek name
for the Jewish Feast of Weeks or Shavuot which was the festival at
the end of the grain harvest which fell fifty days after the
celebration of Passover.
Passover was what Jesus celebrated with his disciples in the
upper room in his last supper with them before his arrest, trial and
crucifixion. At that meal Jesus took the bread, blessed it, then
broke it and shared it with the disciples saying “take, eat, this is
my body” (Matt 26:26), then he took the cup of wine and in the
same way blessed it and shared it saying “Drink from it, all of you
for this is my blood of the new covenant which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:27). He told them to do
this in order to remember him (Luke 22:19). A Jewish feast was
therefore claimed as a sign of a new Christ feast, a new covenant
with God through Christ. The Passover celebrated God’s
protection of the Israelites from the final plague sent upon Egypt,
the death of the first born sons. They had been protected from the
angel of death by the blood of the sacrificial lamb placed as a sign
of faithfulness to God upon their door frames. Through this action
the Israelites became free from their slavery to Egypt. Now Jesus
was adopting and re-aligning this Jewish festival to show that God
was indeed doing something very new. Jesus was to die on the
cross to free us from the slavery of our own making, that is our
own sin (disobedience to God). His blood, like that of the sacrificial
lamb, protects us from the penalty we deserve …. ‘For the wages
of sin is death’ (Rom 6:23). But the story didn’t end there. At
Passover Jesus showed that in his death he was to become the
new Passover Lamb to save God’s people from the slavery of sin.
On Easter Sunday Jesus rose again to show that both sin and
death were defeated.
3.
In later Jewish traditions Shavuot (Pentecost) commemorates
the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Torah was given
through Moses to the Israelites who were then in the desert
after their escape from Egypt. The Israelites had been freed
and now they were given a rule book by which to live and
shape their lives under the authority of God. Jesus had freed
us from sin through his death on the cross. After his
resurrection, Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for
the coming of the Holy Spirit, (in the final chapter of Luke’s
Gospel and the first chapter of Acts). Torah was God’s rules
that the Israelites tried and failed to live by. But, by sending
the Holy Spirit through Jesus, God was doing something
different….
26 I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will
remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of
flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow
my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will
live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,
and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:26-28 (NIV))
At Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through Jesus
placed God’s Spirit within the disciples. No longer Torah, an
external set of rules, but the power of God within Christ’s
followers to empower, guide and strengthen them so that they
do not fail.
The Holy Spirit dwells within Christians to bring revelation, to
guide us in our daily Christian lives by helping us to become
more Christ-like in what we think and do; by making our
relationship with God through Jesus Christ real, personal and
tangible. Ultimately the Holy Spirit empowers and enables us
to do God’s will in the world. God desires us to act like Christ;
that is, as Christ’s eyes, ears, hands, feet and heart in the
World. And like Christ, we are to ‘go and tell’ all of the good
news of the new freedom, new strength, new joy they too can
receive by receiving Jesus as their Lord and saviour.
4.
Book Review by Owen Collins
Just before Easter, Kay handed me a book and invited me to read
it and then meet together to discuss.
The book is entitled The Grace Outpouring by Roy Godwin and
Dave Roberts.
I have yet to meet up with Kay, but I feel
compelled to write this article for Focus praying that for those who
have yet to read this book they do so. Believe me you will not
regret it but be warned it is likely to change you. It will change
how you perceive Jesus and his ministry, how you embrace his
ministry and how you engage in carrying out his ministry,
particularly through prayer.
With all reviews you will find a star marking. So what do I award
it? For a book that gripped me from the very beginning, a book
that is just overflowing with faith, love and humility and the
simplicity with power of the stories of God at work; a book in
which there is no judgement or criticism of others and draws
together different streams of Christianity; a book in which
hospitality plays an integral part of God’s ministry (the kettle
always appears to be on when visitors call!); I give it 10 out of ten.
For style of language and presentation, I would personally give it
a marking of 8 or 9. Why the lower mark? The literary agents for
the authors are American. The language is American English and
it is printed in the USA. I did initially think it was going to be
steered along the paths, or should I say side walks, of American
evangelism which isn’t my cup of tea. But I was wrong. However
the occasional misspelling of words or use of words like parking
lot did irritate from time to time.
So what is the book about? It is a first-person testimony about
what God, through the Holy Spirit, is doing in and through the
Ffald-y-Brenin, a Christian retreat centre and house of prayer in
Pembrokeshire. I quote from the back cover of the book: ‘In the
years since Roy and Daphne Godwin arrived at Ffald-y-Brenin, a
Christian retreat centre in West Wales, God has drawn thousands
of seekers to this converted hill farm with his tangible power.
21.
Friendship Hour Excursions 2015:
18th June
23rd July
Visit to Windsor
Leave Basingstoke from behind the Red Lion Hotel
9.45am, arriving back in Basingstoke around 5pm.
Cost £12.50.
Mystery Tour
Leave Basingstoke from behind the Red Lion Hotel
12.45pm, arriving back in Basingstoke around 5pm.
Cost £12.00.
20th August
Poole
Leave Basingstoke from behind the Red Lion Hotel
9.30am, arriving back in Basingstoke around 6pm.
Cost £17.00.
28th September Visit to Poppy Factory and Richmond
Leave Basingstoke from behind the Red Lion Hotel
8.45am prompt. Poppy Factory tour is arranged for
10.20am. Arrive back in Basingstoke 4.30pm.
Cost £14.00.
To book, please let Joyce Cook know (Tel. 01256 466996) as
soon as possible.
Deposit of £10 per person payable on
booking and balance one week before.
ooooooooooooooooo
Happy ! Birthday!
Niamh Harriman, 7 years on 13 May
Isabel Stanley, 4 years on 24th May
Kayleigh Williams, 18 Years on 29th May
ooooooooooooooooo
Congratulations to
!
Wai Leng and Chris Ayland on
the birth of their grandson, Wilson, on 13th April.
20,
So Pentecost eventually came. The waiting for the disciples was
over. The Holy Spirit arrived in a dynamic and physical way with
wind, flames and energy. It freed the disciples from their fear, freed
them from the constraints of language. The Holy Spirit empowered
them and energised them into starting that spread of the good
news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. When we
become Christians, we too take that torch of Holy Spirit power.
Like that symbolic Olympic torch we watched travelling the world a
few years ago, we, like those Olympic competitors, all have gifts
and skills that we need to exercise and practise. Let us not lose
sight of why Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within
us…….we are to light the path to Christ so that others too may find
the way and join the race.
If you want to hear the amazing testimony of Brother Yun and a
modern day story of the Holy Spirit working powerfully to spread
the gospel message in China, then come along to London Street
on Tuesday 2nd June at 7.30pm. When the Holy Spirit moves we
cannot always know why or how. But the Holy Spirit is real, and
really powerful. Just read Acts, Chapter 2 and be inspired and be
ready!
Yours in Christ, Kay x
PS. If you’d like to know more about how life death and
resurrection of Jesus relates to the Jewish feasts and prophesy
then come along to a special talk being given at London Street by
Roland Pletts at 7.30pm on Friday 8th May.
LIGHT THE FIRE OF PRAYER
In March I asked you all to consider how the prayer leaflets have
inspired and encouraged you in your spiritual journey.
Thank you to those who have responded. For those yet to do so
may I remind you that you have until the end of May to let me,
Owen or Lizzie have your written comments, anonymously if you
wish.
Many blessings, Kay
5.
CIRCLE OF PRAYER
Please remember the following in your
prayers, together with their families, friends,
carers, doctors and nurses:
Short term: Paul Bentall, Iris Brixton, Muriel
Haddock, Richard, Antonia, Grace and Zach
Holland, Lizzie and family, Sylvia Reynolds,
Helen Rolton, Gwen Sims, Rob Williams and family, Owen
Williams, family and friends of the late Judith Withers.
Long Term: Harry Bowers, Netta Dickson, Morag Hill, Marian
Kenward, the Morgans family, Rachel Patterson, Hyacinth and
Eaton Ridguard, Jean Roberts, Betty Shipway, Joyce Smith, Fay
Spurr,Tish and Martin, Chris and Suzanne Tolley, Elwyn, Rachel
Walker.
Under the Auspices of ABC, the
following two events at London Street
are not to be missed:
BROTHER YUN
UK TOUR 2015
RAISING SUPPORT FOR BACK TO JERUSALEM CHINESE MISSIONARIES
IWWW.BACKTOJERUSALEM.COM
| WWW.FLAMEINTERNATIONAL.ORG
BaSINGSTOKE
TUES 2ND JUNE - 7.30PM
Hosted by Alliance of Basingstoke Churches
LONDON STREET URC
From Tadley, please remember in your prayers: Heather and
Russell Fairhead and Matthew and Mary Vickers as they cope with
poor health and the ageing process.
London Street, Basingstoke RG21 7NU
www.basingstokechurches.org.uk
PLEASE NOTE: There is
no charge for admittance
but an offering towards
the work of BACK TO
JERUSALEM will be taken
on the evening
For the General Election:
Pray
for those standing as candidates may they seek the good of others rather than be concerned with
self-advancement;
for those who will cast their votes may they too look beyond self-interest to the wider needs of our
country as a whole;
for those who will be elected as MPs may they strive to represent all their constituency members,
irrespective of political affiliation.
and on Saturday 13th June
Visit by Adrian and Bridget Plass
(a Searchlight Theatre Co. Production)
An evening of theatre, stories, music and laughter. Join The
Searchlight Theatre Company, World Vision and Adrian and
Bridget Plass for a good chuckle and a great night out.
Doors open at 6.55pm. The show starts at 7.15pm and ends at
9.20pm.
Tickets £12, Concessions (Students & OAPs) £10
6.
19.
Daily Bible Readings for May:
Psalm
1st 132
2nd 28
3rd
4th 133/134
5th 30
6th 61
7th 89:14-29
8th 103:1-14
9th 135
10th
11th 31:1-10
12th 138
13th 31:11-24 “
14th 62
15th 104:24-35
16th 139
Flower
New Testament
Matthew
Reflection
“
Matthew
“
“
“
“
Reflection
“
Matthew
“
“
Romans
Reflection
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
Psalm
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
30th
31st
32
63
140
33:1-12
65
141
33:13-22
66
142
34:1-10
67
143
New Testament
Reflection
Romans
2
“
3
“
4
“
5
“
6
Reflection
“
Romans
7
“
8
“
9
“
10
“
11
Reflection
“
Rota - May:
3rd
10th
17th
24th
31st
Friendship Hour
Mrs J Mussellwhite
Mrs J Holton
Mrs V McKenzie
Mrs N Dickson
-ooOoo-
June Focus
Items and information for the June issue of Focus must be with
the Editor by
Sunday, 17th MAY
Prayer Focus – Acts 1 v 8 ‘You will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes’
We might be forgiven for being a bit confused about what
happened between the day of the Resurrection of Jesus and the
day He was taken up into heaven.
Matthew gives us 5 verses about being on a mountain in Galilee
but no Ascension. Mark has a later addition to his Gospel which
briefly summarises the time, also in 5 verses. Luke shares his
description between the last verses of the Gospel and the initial
verses of Acts, with some repetition.
John, who wrote his Gospel somewhat later than the others,
devotes his final chapter to one incident during this time. On the
shore of the Sea of Galilee the disciples, seemingly a bit frustrated
at not knowing what they should be doing, follow Peter’s impulse
to go fishing ( because that’s what he knows!).
The importance of the event though is Jesus’ reinstatement of
Peter, who had openly denied Him three times, and who, at John’s
time of writing had taken on a leading role in the group. To John
this was seemingly more important for his readers than telling
them what finally happened to Jesus.
So we need to read Acts to understand the implication of the
Ascension and the events of Pentecost, and what this means to us
as modern day disciples and followers of Jesus.
‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes…and you will
be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth’ That is a Commission
as much for each one of us as it was for each of them.
Prayer:
As the Holy Spirit came in wind and fire to
the apostles, so may he come to us,
breathing life into our souls, and kindling the
fire of love in our hearts.
at the latest, please.
18.
7.
CHRISTIAN
AID
WEEK
SUNDAY, MAY 10th SATURDAY, MAY 16th
Over recent months we have been remembering the global
suffering of the First World War but how many remember that it
was the response of the churches to the suffering caused by the
Second World War that led to the foundation, seventy years ago,
of Christian Aid and a number of other relief agencies.
Since then there is hardly a country in the world that has not
experienced the suffering of man’s inhumanity to man or through
natural disasters such as an earthquake, a tsunami, famine, fire
drought and flood. Some say that many of the ‘natural’ disasters
are caused by global warming and the lack of human understanding of how we need to respond to climate change.
In this country we are emerging from a period of recession but
there is concern that while the world has grown so vastly richer
since the inception of the aid agencies, their assistance is still
greatly needed.
Dr Rowan Williams, Chair of Christian Aid, ended his sermon at
the 70th Anniversary celebration: ‘Stop, look, listen –that was the
advice schoolchildren were given in my childhood for crossing the
road. It’s good advice for all of us today. Pause to let go of the
anxieties and obsessions and fears; look at the faces of God’s
children, God’s images; listen to the voice calling you to set
God’s children free. Then cross over to the new creation, the
Kingdom of God that belongs to the poor.’
8.
From Old Meeting, Tadley:
Poem:
Take Time to Pray
I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn’t have time to pray. Problems came tumbling about me,
And heavier became each task
'Why doesn't God help me?’ I wondered,
He answered 'you didn’t ask.’
I wanted to see joy and beauty
But the day toiled on grey and black.
I wondered why God didn’t show me,
And he said 'but you didn't ask!’
I tried to come into God's presence
I used all the keys at the lock,
God kindly and lovingly chided,
'My child you didn’t knock.’
I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day,
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.
Ena
Patience:
Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean, do
not be disturbed because of your imperfections, and always rise
up bravely from a fall. I am glad that you make a new beginning
daily; there is no better means of progress in the spiritual life
than to be continually beginning afresh, and never think that we
have done enough.
St Francis de Sales
17.
60 years ago never dreaming that it would be useful later on. Neither
jobs were my line of work. I guess the Lord has his plans and knew that
I would have to do whatever it was he wanted me to do in his strength
and not mine. I’ve loved every minute of it really and learnt so much some of which I probably need to unlearn now! It has been a privilege
to work with our previous ministers Julian Macro and Mike Burrell and
now with Kay who has brought a breath of fresh air and energy to us.
She has been worth waiting for. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness
may we trust you for the future mission of this church and be prepared
to step out of our comfort zone and embrace all the new things that You
are doing!
TROUBADOUR
by Betty Shipway
Right merrily he sings,
“Look at me, look at me,
What a fine fellow am I!”
He’s the lead singer
Leading the dawn chorus
On a beautiful May morn.
The singers join in to greet the day.
This year after Winter long,
When the world was blanketed
With snow; the blossoms are brighter,
The tardy Spring has its petals
White and tumbling, glowing everywhere,
Chestnut spires and lilacs blow,
Bluebells shimmer and cowslips appear;
So England is awash with colour.
No wonder the troubadour sings,
As he leads the dawn chorus.
So thanks be to God the Creator
As Spring and Summer unite,
To give a garlanded world.
Written at 4 am on a May morning
16
Secretary’s Report 2014
2014 was an eventful year for London Street as we continued to raise
the church’s profile as a centre for Christian work and witness in
Basingstoke, not just on Sundays, but throughout the week. At the
same time concerns were raised about the Sanctuary ceiling following
the storms early in the year but, with the Synod’s help and support,
fundraising for this did not have to hinder the church’s mission to the
people of Basingstoke and by the end of the year the work on the new
ceiling was nearly finished and scaffolding even added atmosphere to
one or two events!
Our membership stands at 94. Vera Gerdes moved to Trowbridge and
Mary Silver, secretary of the Wednesday Time for Prayer, transferred
to Bury Road URC, Gosport. Lizzie John took on her role as Prayer
Secretary. We were saddened by the deaths of Muriel Popejoy and
Neil Davis. Neil had been the editor of Focus since 1972 and, although
a non-serving Elder, continued to take the minutes at Elders’ Meetings
and serve on the Finance Committee. His sudden death was a shock
to us all and we miss him - and his quiet efficiency. Kay presided at the
Infant Baptism of Aleysha Moody (her first as minister) and at the
Blessing of Zachary Chabva. She officiated at the marriage of Ray
Todd and Samantha Honeyball which was very happy occasion. There
were 11 Serving Elders for part of the year Chris and Leng Ayland,
Owen Collins, Joyce Cook, the Revd John Downing, Alison Jamieson,
Liz Lindsay, Jenny McCloy, Isobel Martin, Stan Marut, Christine
Robertson and Rob Williams but in April John’s pastoral service to
other churches was extended and, with regret all round, he felt it
necessary to resign. At the ACM acting Church Treasurer, Alex Macro,
at long last was able to hand over to Karen Bell but continued to
support her as she began to learn the intricacies of charity accounting.
His experience was not lost however as the Finance Committee
elected him as their chairman in succession to Derek Anthony who
retired after nearly 20 years of service in this post .
Attendance at Sunday services averaged around 65 and we continued
to appreciate Kay’s innovative Biblical preaching in worship and also
the different insights brought by our visiting preachers on the second
Sunday of the month when Kay was at Tadley. We also appreciated the
music provided through the year by Mark Best, Ian Rees, Peter Dixon,
Maggie Morgans and Alex Macro with occasional input from Joyce
Cook or David Bath with the digital hymnal not forgetting Kay on guitar.
9.
Our sincere thanks also go to Eira McCaughey who retired as Pulpit
Supply Secretary after 17 years including two vacancies, to Mark Best
her successor and to Iris Brixton, who until her accident in October,
arranged the organists’ rota and looked after copyright matters. Holy
Communion was held on 12 occasions. These services don’t just
happen and I would like to thank the many who work behind the
scenes to see that everything is prepared, stewarded, and cleared up
afterwards. The church flowers continued to be an important ministry.
Kay regularly used the data projector in service and with our present
ancient screen and various books balancing the projector, even more
preparation was needed but it was worthwhile and upgrading the
audio/visual equipment remains high on our wish list.
Early in the year work started on producing up to date Health and
Safety and Fire Policy documents. The toilet for the disabled was
refurbished and carpet in the Hook Room and passageway was
replaced with easy to clean polyflor and in the Worting Room with
carpet tiles - all in preparation for activities to come.
In February the London St. and Tadley Elders spent an Away Day
together at St Mary’s, Overton considering the URC’s 20-20 Vision for
their respective churches. London Street’s priorities for the year were
Spirituality and Prayer. To this end, in addition to Sunday worship,
study groups were held. During Lent we thought about “What it means
to be a Christian in this Place” and by popular demand more followed a series on “The Lord’s Prayer” and the “Book of Ruth”- all under Kay’s
and Peter Bentall’s sensitive and often humorous leading. Attractive
pocket sized prayer booklets were produced on our new colour copier
with seasonal prayers and space to jot down people or situations
needing prayer were given out in September and at Christmas. A
prayer corner was also set up, at first in the Sanctuary but, towards the
end of the year, in the Concourse near the round window, with green
leaf shaped post-it notes for prayer requests. These were included in
the intercessions on Sundays. The Ffald-y-Brenin cycle of prayer was
offered on most days in the Sanctuary with the front doors open for
folk to come in off the street and Time for Prayer continued on
Wednesday lunchtimes. The experiment of holding monthly Prayer
Breakfasts was tried out on the first Sunday in September and
continued to the end of the year with different people leading.
Our premises have been used a lot during the year not just by us but
hirers too and Peter Bentall has continued to oversee this important
source of income. It also means more dirt and we have been blessed
by having cleaners who go the extra mile. After 14 years of faithful
service Mary Hutchinson felt it was time to hang up her duster and
while we looked for a replacement our other cleaner, Graham Owen,
cleaned the whole building which is a big job for one person. Thank
you Mary and Graham for all you have done. In December we
welcomed Roy Bennett onto the payroll as Mary’s replacement.
Well, it is nearly the end! Christmas approached and we filled
Samaritans Purse shoe boxes . Several of the Christmas events I’ve
already mentioned but the tea provided by the Elders followed by
Carols for All was one I have not. The Basingstoke Silver Band
accompanied the carols again and a good congregation, most of
whom had enjoyed a generous tea provided by the elders, sang
lustily. The Christingle on Christmas Eve was not quite as well
attended as last year but it was good to welcome a new family. The
Sanctuary decorations were in the form of stars painstakingly cut out
by Ian McCloy. Hung below the scaffolding they really sparkled. The
retiring collections at the Christmas services went to Christian Aid’s
Kenya Maternity Appeal and to Off the Fence, a Christian charity for
the homeless in Brighton. Other special collections and donations
included the Ebola Appeal and Town Centre Chaplaincy while Gift
Sunday were given to the Care Leavers team at Hampshire County
Council for distribution to young people reaching 18 years and the
Women’ Refuge.
In a church there are usually one or two people you turn to if
something practical needs doing whether it is organising food, making
posters, planting Easter gardens, creating displays, sorting costumes,
going to the dump, going to Ikea for shelving, fixing shelving,
changing light bulbs, putting up notice boards I could go on and at
London Street in 2014 it has been Alison Jamieson and Chris Ayland
who have made themselves available. Many more of us have done
our bit but I am sure you will not mind me mentioning those two in
particular this year.
Well, this will be my last Secretary’s Report so I do want to say “thank
you” to you all for your love, your prayers, your help and support, your
forgiveness for my mistakes and omissions over the years. I learnt
my trade as treasurer and then secretary in the Youth Fellowship over
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enjoyed a Christmas Carol Service and an Oasis Christmas lunch. A
qualified masseur was often available as well! Kay also arranged a
Carol Service for the Friendship Club which meets on Friday and they
loved it.
Two drivers and six senior members took part in the Hampshire Historic
Churches sponsored Ride and Stride and raised £416 + gift aid.
London Street received half the money raised. It was a sort of senior
members outing with a purpose.
On the last Saturday afternoon of September, in partnership with All
Saints, and, with some trepidation, we held the first Top of Town Messy
Church. We had no idea how many would come or what age they
would be so we decided to have eight craft tables. In the event fourteen
children and eight adults turned up eager to try them all and then to
engage in the celebration in the church before sitting down to a cooked
meal. For our second Messy Church in November twenty one children
and sixteen adults turned up, craft tables were reduced to six and this
was equally successful. It is hard but rewarding work. There was a
great mix of nationalities some of whom were Hindu but all joined in
everything. It was good that families from our Little Angels pre-school
Group who meet every Tuesday morning during term time in the
Wessex Hall also came. The Little Angels group is led by Leng Ayland,
Anne Davey and Kay with help from Louise and has gone from strength
to strength with twenty five children from a variety of ethnic
backgrounds on the books. They enjoyed a picnic in the park during the
summer and held services, including a nativity one, followed by a
Christmas lunch. Between 20 and 25 attend the services.
One of the most challenging outreach events we held in conjunction
with ABC was on November 5th. It was the Searchlight Theatre
Company’s production of “Woodbine Willie”. It brought to life the work
and witness of the Revd Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, an army padre,
who served near the front line in WW1. With the scaffolding for the
ceiling repair still in place and the noise of the fireworks going off in the
park augmenting the proper sound effects and sand bag set an
amazing atmosphere was created for a most enjoyable and challenging
evening. Kay was unrecognisable to many until she opened her mouth
to welcome everybody. The hairdo and the uniform was rather more
ww2 than ww1 but who cares nearly 200 came into the church and left
having heard the Good News of Jesus and with a replica copy of the
Gospel of John given to the troops in WW1.
We were well represented at the Alliance of Basingstoke Churches
AGM and United Service in the Baptist Church and the Women’s
World Day of Prayer in Trinity Methodist Church. In March we
hosted an ABC prayer breakfast, the Wessex Synod meeting and a
Fair Trade debate organised by the town’s committee entitled “How
Fair are Your Bananas?”. The panel included the Bishop of
Basingstoke, a representative from a supermarket, a producer and
someone from Fairtrade. We had previously held our own event
“Let’s Go Bananas” and the church was decorated with bright yellow
inflatable bananas hanging from string strung between the east and
west sides of the gallery. The café had opened on Saturday serving
all things banana, including free pancakes to children who took part
in the competition. Kay, dressed as a banana, went out into the
street to encourage people to come in. On Sunday one of Kay’s
puppets ended up flying on a suspended banana. As a result I hope
we all resolved to buy fair traded bananas whenever possible as it
really helps producers.
As always Easter was a busy time. The Hook Room was full to see
an enactment and explanation of the Jewish Seder Meal (Passover)
and its significance for Christians. Several groups drove to Old
Meeting for a joint Maundy Communion service led by Kay. The
Good Friday Walk of Witness started from London Street as usual
and an Easter Sunrise Service followed by breakfast was again at
Tadley led by Kay. Several went from here to that and later Tadley
joined us for the Easter 10.30am celebration service in London St.
The elders, Junior Church staff and others attended training courses
during the year and gained many certificates. These included
safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, First Aid, Fire Safety,
Core Skills, Children & Youth Work Forum and Food Hygiene. The
vestry, tidy and clean for Kay’s arrival in 2013, soon reverted to its
old state and we were forced into clearing the top floor store and
erect shelving to accommodate all Kay’s wonderful “stuff” which had
been gradually filling the vestry! (Perhaps there was a bit of Elders’
stuff as well) Kay’s “stuff” is great though, isn’t it? We never know
what will turn up next - a puppet or Noah’s Ark! Most of the hard
work was done by Alison, Chris and Kay herself so, many thanks to
them. Thanks also to Bram Corn for his work as property officer.
Bram’s main love, of course, has been the Child Contact Centre
which he and his faithful band of helpers have conscientiously
manned for nineteen years. Bram intends to retire in 2015 so new
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coordinators are being sought. Many, many separated families have
good reason to thank Bram and his team for their understanding, wise
words and actions in sometimes fraught situations.
With the Borough Council keen to bring new life to the top of the town
several festivals and activities were held in London Street and the
Market Place. The church was much involved supplying changing
facilities and electricity but we also opened the café on as many
Saturdays as we could manage. Karen Bell held a felt making workshop
and craft display on one of them and Chris Ayland displayed some of
his Bibles. On another Ian Scott was sitting quietly in the café and
received a severe shock when he was set upon by a very heavily made
up and over friendly woman in fancy dress – one of the street
entertainers. It took him a while to recover!
Our big event was the Mad Hatters Tea Party when tea was laid out on
a long table in the Concourse. Sandwiches, tea and gorgeous cakes
were served to all who came in and this time most of us dressed up in
fancy costumes. The Blackwell family, dressed as the main characters,
went out chatting to all and sundry in London St and the Market Place.
Joan Mussellwhite and Eileen Poulter wore very fetching hats complete
with price ticket. Quite a lot of people came in and could hardly believe
that we were offering it all free! It was particularly good that the
Portuguese pastor and his wife who lead the congregation that meets in
the church on Sunday evenings came early to join us. It was great fun
and a good advertisement for the church.
ABC arranged a Big Hug for Basingstoke which did not quite work but
made people ask what we were doing. At Christmas in arrangement
with the Proteus Arts Centre local artists also exhibited their work in the
Concourse. At the preview we served non-alcoholic mulled wine and
mince pies which went down well.
2014 saw changes in the Community Café. Penny Dilley resigned as
our paid manager and cook but has stayed on as manager in a
voluntary capacity. Her very high standards would be hard to follow and
we are blessed that she is still keeping an eye on things while our new
paid cook, Heather Redfern, learns about the ethos of the café and
gradually takes on more responsibility. As a church we are also grateful
for the meals she and her team produced for us on Sundays which
were over and above the call of duty.
Youth Café with support from Kay, John Eves and the rest of the
management committee. It has been a great blessing and
encouragement to see several of the lads who have been regulars
for five years, overcome many problems along the way, get jobs but
still come to visit. For both Oasis and the Youth Café there is the
constant need to advertise their presence and both have done this
through special meal deals, 2 films made by Megan local churches,
church notice boards and ABC. Christ Church, Chineham, regularly
supported the venture financially. These and other donations were
greatly appreciated. Prayer undergirds all they do. The helpers pray
together before they start each morning, the youth café staff before
and after each session and there was a prayer meeting on the first
Friday morning of the month as well as the commissioning services
each term.
Under the leadership of Jenny McCloy and Carol Scott Junior
Church was much enjoyed by the children and their work was
beautifully displayed in the Sanctuary for us all to see. They now
meet downstairs in the Hook Room. Numbers were few and with a
wide age range but they are prepared for more and we pray for
growth.
Friendship Hour met regularly on Thursday afternoons and has many
members not part of London Street’s congregation. Joyce Cook with
help from Eileen Poulter and Christine Robertson has arranged the
programme but would dearly love for more active London Street
people to come along with new ideas and contacts.
The 8th Basingstoke URC Scout Group for the most part had a good
year with many badges gained and competitions and camps
enjoyed. There was a change of leadership in the cubs - Michelle
Stroessel became the new Akela and Richard Whitechurch the new
Bagheera. Attendance at church parades began to improve as more
encouragement was given by the leaders. It isn’t easy to dispel the
idea that church is boring but Kay continues to work on it as did Gill
and Karen before her.
In September Claire Macro, with the full support of the church and
faithful team of helpers, started a weekly group for those with
dementia and their carers called The Memory Tree Social Club. The
Hook Room buzzed with activity every Wednesday morning. They
Penny’s heart is for youth work and she continues, with the other
volunteers from various churches including London Street, to run the
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