February E-Magazine 2022
In this edition:
Refreshing our Vision
Greetings from Gail
APCM & Annual Elections
Mothers' Union News
DBS Check Update
Monday Lunch Club @ St Nix
News from St James
Walking with God Together
Love Your Church this Lent
News from Regenerate
Services Throughout the Parish
Living in Love & Faith
Prayer - by Wanda
Please click below for a printable copy of the magazine:
Refreshing our Vision
In January 2020 we launched our new 5-year vision. Six weeks later COVID 19 struck and our attention was diverted into surviving the pandemic. Although the effects of the pandemic still linger, the evidence suggests that these effects will diminish significantly during this year so we can now turn our attention back to outworking the vision that we believe God has given to us. We therefore plan to relaunch the vision at the Parish Communion on Sunday 30 January to remind us all of the goal we have set ourselves.
Hopefully everyone is now familiar with the strapline ‘Making Jesus visible’ that acts as a reminder of what is at the heart of the vision. It is based on a statement in a book by Bishop John V. Taylor on our calling as 21st-century Christians:
The primary aim of all Christian mission is to present the person of Jesus Christ, to make him visible so that he may draw all to himself. This can only be done by
enabling people to see Christ in his humanity, in the Christ-likeness of other human beings and in a church that actually is his body.
This suggests to me that our witness to Jesus is not simply about the way we live our own lives, allowing others to see some measure of Christ-likeness in our own lives, but also about how we live as a community of faith together, allowing people to see Christ-likeness in the church that is his body. There is a challenge in this for us all. The last two years have inevitably caused us to become preoccupied with our own survival, grappling with the challenges of the pandemic. The history of the last few decades has also obscured the presence of Christ within the church for many reasons. The challenge for us is how to turn that around here in Yate. The vision outlines four priorities to enable this to happen:
* deepening our friendship with God through increased prayer;
* encouraging one another to more confident discipleship and being active in Everyday Mission in order to transform the community in which we live;
* being more engaged with the wider community by better understanding their needs and being more responsive in active service;
* modelling a gracious, inclusive and welcoming church community based on a culture of care, openness and non-judgmentalism that embraces all ages and all peoples.
It starts with each and every one of us paying attention to our prayer life and to our journey of discipleship – are we continuing to grow as disciples or have we become stuck in a religious rut? I would like to encourage you to use this Lent to ask yourselves these questions and to allow God to renew your prayer life and revitalise your journey of discipleship. That will hopefully lead you into more active engagement with and service to the wider community and enable us to become a more caring church community that truly reflects the likeness of Christ.
I believe that 2022 holds some wonderful opportunities for us to grow as individuals and to grow as a community, but we need to be ready and willing to co-operate with the work of God in our lives.
Rev Ian Wallace
Greetings from Gail
Happy New Year! I hope all went well in the parish this Christmas.
I thought I would let the parish know that, with the very generous gift of money that you gave me when I left, I have just bought an electric bike - a little help with some of those enormous hills here! It means that I will be able to use my bike more often, be more eco-friendly and not arrive at appointments exhausted! Every time I get on my bike I think of my friends back in Yate!
Every blessing, Rev Gail Thomas
IMPORTANT DATE—March Magazine
The deadline to receive articles for the March issue of the magazine is 11 February. Please send them in a Word format.
APCM & annual elections
We are approaching that time of year when we need to prepare for our Annual Parish Meeting (date still to be confirmed). This means that we need to get our Electoral Rolls up to date and identify candidates willing to stand for election as Church Wardens and to be members of the PCC (trustees of the Parish).
As usual we will be electing a PCC member for each of the four churches and attempting to fill any vacancies which exist. The PCC also has the power to co-opt members so there are plenty of vacancies should you wish to put your name forward. We need people who are willing to give their time and skills to the proper governance of our Parish – it is an important part of Parish life and ensures that the workings of the Parish continue to run smoothly and that we are able to provide an ongoing witness and service to the community.
I would therefore like to ask you to do two things in the next month:
1. If you are not sure whether your name is on the Electoral Roll please check with the Electoral Roll Officer for your church (see list below) and if your name isn’t there please complete the form so that your name can be added. If you are not on the Electoral Roll then you don’t feature in the national statistics for church membership and you will not be entitled to vote at the Annual Parish Meeting.
2. Please consider whether you would be willing to stand for any of the following roles within the Parish:
Church Warden
PCC member
DCC member
The Electoral Roll Officers for the four churches are:
St. James Andrew Rapson
St. Mary’s Wendy Dykes
St. Nix Moira Jenkins
St. Peter’s Mike Collis
Mothers’ Union News
After an active and inspiring year in 2021 this continues to be an exciting time for Mothers’ Union as we will see some changes and some moving forward of ideas and actions in 2022.
Following our AGM on 20 January there will be new arrangements and the Yate Branch will be led by Committee, headed up by Jacquie Jones. We give thanks to Jenny Carter who has been a valued member of the MU Committee for
several years and is now stepping down. Expect a few new ideas and guest leaders through the year. Watch out for updates!
We are delighted to be enrolling a new member on 6 February and would ask you to consider whether this is something you might like to find out about this year? There is a category of membership called ‘Friend of Mothers’ Union’ for anyone who may not be able to commit to attending meetings but would nevertheless like to support our work.
I will still be an active member in our Branch, but I have been given the honour of becoming the next Diocesan President for the Bristol Diocese. This will clearly be a demanding role and I will appreciate your prayers as I attempt to grow in faith to fulfil the position.
The Bristol Diocese MU are urgently looking for a new Treasurer: if you think this is something you could do, or know someone who could, please contact me for more information. I will be very happy to talk to you about Mothers’ Union. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. (See advert on page 9)
With love and blessings, Jacky Fredrickson
MU Diocesan President Bristol
jackyfredrickson@gmail.com 07501670265
DBS check update – please read if you have a DBS
The Church of England has reduced the frequency of DBS checks from 5 years to 3 years.
If your DBS for Yate Parish is more than 3 years old, please speak to Beverley Hodgson on 07913387477 or
Monday Lunch Club @ St. Nix
Can you help on Mondays?
We need someone to wash up!
St. Nix Church, Abbotswood provides lunch on Mondays 12 - 2pm. We have a thriving Lunch Club of about 20 diners.
We provide soup and a dessert which is enjoyed by a variety of people who come not only for the food but for companionship and support. You would have a free lunch in return for washing up. This is a very worthwhile project which is of real support to many people and you would be part of a dedicated team.
If you think you can help please contact Sue Harrison at St Nix Parish Office (01454 324712 or the Rev. Joanne Hodge at (07758 648 264) for further details.
We would love to hear from you.
News from St James
We look forward to our popular pancake evening in church on Shrove Tuesday (1 March from 6pm),heralding the start of Lent. As usual we shall be holding a Lent Lunch of freshly-made soups, bread and cheese, on Saturday 26 March, 12-2pm.
The Friends of St James will be running this year’s monthly breakfasts, starting on Saturday 9 April (9-11am, followed by a walk).
Walking with God Together
Wednesday 2 February, 12.15pm
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the Christian faith but been unsure how to ask? Do you wonder how you can deepen your relationship with God? Find out more in Walking with God Together.
Bring your own sandwiches to eat as part of an agape service. It’s a chance for those who go to Home groups already and those who are interested to get to know each other. Each home group leader will have information about their group and be there to explain what makes their group special.
Love Your Church this Lent
During the pandemic we have been separated from each other and from Church, so this Lent we have decided to focus on
loving our church community to remind us what church can be like and why it is so important. We have asked the home groups to do this study in Lent and we encourage everyone to join in. The book we will study is ‘Love Your Church: 8 Great Things About Being a Church Member’ by Tony Merida (available from amazon for £7.99).
There will also be taster sessions open to anyone who is new to home groups or who has not been for a while, to experience what it’s like.
Not everyone wants to express their faith in study and discussion, so we are creating an alternative way to reflect on Loving Church. In a series of crafting sessions we shall follow the same bible passages as the home group by creating our own icons. Spending time reflecting on the bible by making something physical allows us to connect with God in new ways. The icons we create will be our own so this is open to everyone, artists and non-artists alike.
Details of all the Home groups, taster sessions and icon making will be published in February for the start of Lent on 2 March.
News from Regenerate
December 2021
Regenerate is a Christian schools work charity which has been at work in the schools in Yate and Chipping Sodbury for over 20 years. During 2020 and the early part of 2021 Rachel, the schools worker, had to be furloughed and most of our involvement in the schools came to a halt. But it then became possible to produce assemblies online for schools to use so Rachel was able to keep in touch. Here are some comments from her about how Regenerate is still at work in our
community schools.
“This term it has been wonderful to be back in most of our schools and to meet lots of new children. Our Collective Worship theme was taken from Simeon’s prophecy in Luke that Jesus would be the light of the world. We have been thinking about how we can make the world a brighter place!
Our exciting new venture for December was Christmas Reflection Spaces! These are like prayer spaces with stations to encourage reflection and response. We set up these spaces in primary school halls and local churches but also provided the experience ‘in a bag’ for those schools who were not able to get to these venues. With the rise in Covid cases we wondered if we would be able to provide this experience but most schools took part.’
One of the outcomes from lockdown is the rise in the number of children who are struggling with anxiety and are finding the school environment more difficult. Rachel has been invited to help in mentoring some of these children using the Emotional Rollercoaster course produced by Transforming Lives for Good; this will begin in January at Abbotswood Primary.
Rachel has asked for prayer for the following:
- Give thanks for schools welcoming us back.
- Pray for good health for school communities and protection from covid outbreaks.
- Give thanks for the Year 4 children who visited our Christmas Reflection Spaces or reflected on the Christmas story using the ‘in a bag’ resources.
- Pray for the volunteers who work with Rachel during term time.
- Pray for the children chosen to be mentored, pray for open doors to mentoring in other schools.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support! Why not choose Monday as a day to pray for Regenerate?
Ruth Wallace
Chair of Regenerate Trustees
primaryschools.regenerate@gmail.com
www.regenerate-schools.org
Follow @regenerateschools for weekly updates
VACANCY
MOTHERS’ UNION TREASURER
BRISTOL DIOCESE
An opportunity has arisen to join a new team of Trustees for Mothers’ Union in the Bristol Diocese.
The Treasurer will be responsible for all financial transactions, recording and reporting.
Essential skills are:
Proven accountancy ability
IT skills
Team player
Reliability and integrity
Ideally the Treasurer will have an interest in the work of Mothers’ Union, or a willingness to learn.
For a full role description and more information please contact:
jacky.mubristoldiocese@gmail.com
Services throughout the Parish
Sunday 6 February
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - Green
St Mary
8.15am Communion
10.30am Morning Worship - live stream
6.30pm 630Praise
St Nix
10.30am Communion
St James
10.30am Communion
St Peter
4.00pm Evening Worship
(Book of Common Prayer)
Sunday 13 February
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany - Green
St Mary
8.15am Communion
10.30am Communion - live stream
6.30pm 630Praise
St Nix
10.30am Morning Worship
St James
10.30am Morning Worship
St Peter
4.00pm Communion
(Book of Common Prayer)
Sunday 20 February
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
(second Sunday before Lent) - Green
St Mary
8.15am Communion
10.30am Morning Worship - live stream
6.30pm 630Praise
St Nix
10.30am Communion
St James
10.30am Communion
St Peter
4.00pm Evening Worship
(Book of Common Prayer)
Sunday 27 February
Transfiguration Sunday - Green
St Mary
8.15am Communion
10.30am Communion - live stream
6.30pm 630Praise
St Nix
10.30am Morning Worship
St James
10.30am Morning Worship
St Peter
4.00pm Communion
(Book of Common Prayer)
Living in Love & Faith
In 2022 the General Synod of the Church of England will vote on the question of whether to allow same-sex marriages to take place within a Church of England service. Because it is such a complex and emotive issue the Archbishops want to ensure that the debate leading up to that vote is informed and happens within a spirit of understanding, rather than being fuelled by prejudice and misinformation. So every Parish is being asked to look at the issues involved before its PCC then votes on the issue and decides where it stands in the debate.
The church has produced some excellent resources under the title “Living in Love & Faith” including a short course for churches. By the time you read this our PCC will already have been through the course and the Ministry Team are undertaking a more in-depth study. However, we felt it was important to allow any interested members of the Parish to have the opportunity to do the course and discuss the issues involved. We are therefore running the course twice on Saturday mornings for anyone who would like to take part.
The dates are:
Saturday 5th March, 9.30am-12.30pm
Saturday 2nd April, 9.30am-12.30pm
The course will be run at St. Nix and refreshments will be provided. Please contact Pam in the Parish Office if you would like to attend. (e-mail parishoffice@yateparish.org.uk or phone 313105).
Rev Ian Wallace
Prayer
I have always been fascinated with prayer. Even as a little girl, I can remember kneeling by my bedside, following a picture book showing this was the way to pray! It made me feel like I was a child of God. Primarily, I want to encourage you all, as I share a few thoughts on prayer. We might think that praying is difficult. We imagine God is like an elusive wavelength on the radio. We know he is there somewhere, but we just can’t tune in. This couldn’t be furthest from the truth. Knowing God is like knowing other people because God has made himself known to us in Jesus Christ. We do have all the equipment we need and all the ability necessary. We just need to find the way of praying that is right for us.
Prayer is the way we meet God, and whether we acknowledge it or not, we are made for relationship with God. When we enter that relationship, it is of love, which is the very nature of God. Just as human relationships are nurtured and sustained by patterns and rituals, so too, as we spend time developing our prayer life.
I sometimes sense God’s presence close to me as I pray, as if I am having a chat with a friend. You may like to sit or be out walking in nature. It will be different for many of us. Be relaxed and confident, knowing that God is near.
Jeremiah 29:12 : Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
We pray to a God who knows everything about us (Psalm 139) and he is the first to know when we are struggling. Be open and honest. Often King David, who wrote a few of the psalms, would be at his wits end, as he poured out his heart in prayer. We need to acknowledge; we don’t know why God answers some prayers and not others! But he always listens. So, that is why we say ‘if it is your will Lord’ He continues to be a faithful and loving God.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
When we seek the heart of God in prayer, we are seeking the deepest joy of all and the deepest fulfilment. Let’s try and spend more time in God’s presence, as we come before him in prayer and thanksgiving.
Rev Wanda Morris
Morning prayer in Yate Parish
Do you find prayer a little difficult? Would you like some inspiration? Go to the Yate Parish Facebook page to join in Morning Prayer led by our ministry team. You can watch live at 7.30am Monday to Saturday, or watch at any time later in the day. Many people have found it a great start to their day.
Weekly at St Mary’s
Thursday Communion at 10.00am
Compline @8pm
Before the lockdown happened, we had recorded the saying of Compline. We ask that each evening at 8pm we light a candle in our window and pray together for our nation using the words of the Compline service - it takes just over 5 minutes.
Visit the parish website and click on the recordings to listen; you will find the words of the service there too.
DailyHope phone line
DailyHope, a free national telephone line, offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of the phone. A Church of England initiative in partnership with CONNECTIONS at Holy Trinity Claygate, and Faith in Later Life. The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind; to provide comfort and spiritual nourishment to the most isolated in our society.
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