Rochford Methodist
Missed from the Report pages at the Annual Church Meeting (sorry!)
NETWORK
Once again we have had quite a lively Network year, and many of our members have attended the events around the Circuit.
The Women’s World day of prayer was held at the Congregational Church, a great many of our members attended.
The Network World Church day was at Romford, we were able to travel by coach. It was a very blustery cold day in March, but the welcome was very warm and the speaker from the Leprosy Mission gave us a real message of hope for sufferers from leprosy.
Canvey Island certainly figured large in Network events. The Easter offering service was held there, led by Brenda Gutberlet. The financial result including a Bring and Buy table and the envelopes was an overall increase of £400.
The Canvey dinner was a great success, held on May 23rd. The after dinner speaker was Rev. David Tudor. He is an excellent and refreshing speaker.
The summer lunch was held in August at Belfairs. The special programme called "For your ears only" was a selection of readings of nostalgia, humour and new reading to give us some idea of articles which are used for a Talking Newspaper for the Blind. We were able to give a donation for this cause.
Yet another event was held at Belfairs. This was a District Day on October 5th entitled "Network, My Network, Our Network" and was led by Rev. Elizabeth Rundle. Four of our members attended, and various friends from the Circuit took part in the events.
Our Quiet Day on February 22nd was held at New Road entitled "Praying Always". The day was led by Brenda Gutberlet and consisted of two sessions each with a short introductory talk by Brenda followed by opportunities of expressing ourselves actively or quietly as we felt led. There were also books to read or just a quiet time in the open air. Six of our members attended.
Now we are looking forward in this new year to many events where we will enjoy the fellowship with other members and incidentally learning about Network world wide and helping them with our prayers and our contributions.
NEWS FROM WESTERLEY
Greetings from Westerley! I am delighted to say that after what seems a very long time our alterations and building work is now just about complete. The main contractors left us some while ago now but we have been having the finishing touches added over the past weeks. We are now very proud of our five new bedrooms and new lift which are being put to very good use!
We are also delighted with our newly landscaped garden including a large patio and gravelled area supporting large decorative pots holding shrubs and plants. All these, as well as hundreds of bulbs and plants in the borders promise us an array of colour and scent to look forward to whilst sitting out enjoying the summer sun!
One of our new rooms has become our Respite Room. This is a very comfortable room with en-suite facilities which we keep for short term guests. If you know of anyone within the Circuit (or beyond!) who may benefit from coming to stay for a week or two to either give caring relatives a break or just for a holiday then please contact me. If you are interested in Respite Care and would like to visit and view the room you would be most welcome.
May I thank everyone for your continued support of Westerley which is greatly appreciated by myself and the residents. You are welcome to visit us at any time as we love to see visitors! May I also use this opportunity to remind you of a date for your diary, our annual Open Day on Saturday May 25th. Further details will be circulated nearer the time!
If anyone would like to arrange a visit or would like further details of Respite Care please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you and once again thank you all for your support.
Susan Reed Westerley
Thorpe Bay Methodist church are holding an Arts & Crafts Exhibition on Friday and Saturday 5/6 April with proceeds going to the Westerley Appeal.
It’s your chance to pop along to see some fine paintings and craft work, and to buy some of the items if you want. Refreshments are available and admission is only 50p.
The church is open from 11am-5pm on Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday. For more information, contact Barbara Hayter on 01702 468064 or Mr T Malley on 01702 588800.
Thank you to Everyone
We would like to express our sincerest thanks following our wedding on Monday 14th January 2002.
Thanks first of all to the Reverend Margaret Deans for a beautiful service. Thanks to everyone who came and supported us with their good wishes and prayers, and who, with their smiling faces, helped to make it such a joyous occasion. Thanks also to those who could not make it but were with us in spirit.
Thanks to everyone who helped in whatever way to make it such a very special and memorable occasion. Thanks to Hugh for presenting the bride. Thanks to Mike and Heather for lending us their lovely little boy Luke to be our ring-bearer. Many thanks to Luke for being such a little hero.
Thanks to everyone who worked hard to get the church ready for the service. Thanks to Beryl for doing the church flowers so beautifully, and I wish I had asked her to do the bouquets because I think she would have made abetter job of it than the professional florist! Thanks to Carole and Bruce for playing the music. Thanks to Colin for the photographs and to Margaret for making Luke’s waistcoat at such short notice. Thanks to Lucy for stepping in to conduct the Women’s Fellowship meeting when Hugh was busy elsewhere.
Thanks to everyone who sent cards. Many, many thanks to all those who contributed to our beautiful wedding gift of a pair of silver candlesticks, and also the very welcome gift of Debenham’s vouchers.
Barry and Margaret Stoll
Drunken spiders make better cloth
If nothing else, most people seem to ‘know’ that Methodists don’t drink alcohol. What they don’t really know is that several years ago Conference changed the official stance to one where Methodists should show responsibility and ‘moderation’ if they do drink.
Whichever way you look at it, though, Methodists have always shown an interest in alcohol and it is frequently a negative view.
But scientists have found a new use for alcohol which is expected to bring the benefits of cheaper high-quality clothing. And the lucky drinkers are - spiders!
The experiments date back to the late 1960s when it was realised that the silk produced by spiders was stronger than the silk produced by silk worms. The only problem is that spiders don’t normally produce it in a form that allows it to be ‘harvested’.
Silkworms are expensive to feed (they only eat a special mulberry leaf) and the silkworm has to die in order to harvest the silk. To collect the silk the factory has to wait until the caterpillar has matured and has produced its cocoon. Once it has hardened, the cocoon is boiled to loosen the ‘glue’ that holds it together and skilled staff unwind the resulting thread in a labour-intensive process.
In the 1960s, scientists were conducting experiments with the different drugs that were becoming common. One experiment involved exposing spiders to LSD, the hallucinogen. Affected spiders were then left to spin and the resulting webs were distorted and incomplete.
Other substances were tested and it was found that alcohol had an interesting effect. It didn’t affect the quality of the silk, but affected the ‘glue’ so the webs didn’t stick together and stayed as a single thread.
Different types and strengths of alcohol were tested and it was noted that the spiders showed preferences; they would go out of their way to drink the alcohol they liked. Some preferred beers and lagers, while others preferred spirits. Polish spirit, however, usually resulted in the rapid death of the spider.
The best quantity of silk, though, was produced by spiders exposed to traditional cask-conditioned beers (‘Real Ale’).
Manufacturing scientists are now looking at ways of harvesting the spider silk that allows it to be used to produce cloth that can be printed and woven. They think that they may achieve this within five years.
Spiders can live for a couple of years and produce silk as soon as they are born. Collection of the silk does not result in the death of the spider and the quantity of alcohol they drink is minute so the cost is significantly cheaper than traditional silk.
Tests have also shown that spider silk can theoretically be woven so that it can stop a bullet, so bullet-proof vests and blast-proof curtains can be made from it.
If you want to find out more, click here.
Circuit Workshops at Rayleigh and Trinity
Don’t forget the Circuit Creativity Weekend planned for 25/26 May 2002.
Based on the question ‘If you couldn’t use words how would you praise God?’, this will be a creative weekend ending with a Circuit Service at Trinity on 26 May led by Maureen Newcombe, the President of LPMA.
Plans are now well under way, so keep an ear open for more details.
Singathon at Benfleet
If you like singing, or listening to music, or playing a musical instrument then the 6th April is the day for you - and Benfleet Methodist Church is the place. From 9 am to 9 pm there’s 12 solid hours of music and you are invited to join in the fun by taking part in any event in the programme - or just turn up to be entertained.
Full details are on the yellow poster in display in the entrance to our church but at £2 to listen to the daytime events, (or £3 for the evening concert) it’s a bargain. Hot snacks and drinks will be available throughout the day so you can spend as long as you like there.
In order throughout the day, the concerts are as follows:
Songs from the Shows, Sacred Music, Children’s Programme, Gilbert and Sullivan, Lloyd Webber, Children’s Programme, Joseph’s Dreamcoat, the Organists Entertain, Opera choruses, Instrumentalists’ Programme, Choristers Singathon Concert.
All the profits for the day will go to Benfleet’s Redevelopment Fund (yes, they’ve got one as well!). Phone 01268 759704 or 751303 for more information.
Remember to keep all those used postage stamps from your Christmas cards and pass them to Helen Willson who will make sure they are used to raise money for missions.
April 6th Judy Garner & Rosie Isaacs 13th Mick Ellis & Helen Willson 20th Heather & Mike Sims 27th Carole & Bruce Glendenning May 4th Maureen Whalley & Jayne Pullman 11th Carol Castle & Margaret Rayner 18th Pat & Malcolm Rubidge 25th Beryl & Owen Scoging
Flower Rota
April 7th Women’s Fellowship Anniversary
14th Heather Sims
21st Margaret Rayner
28th Jayne Pullman
May 5th Marie Denny
12th Church Anniversary
19th Kathy Mortlock
26th Rosie Isaacs
Wesley Guild
All change again!
Sue and George took us on a Flight to South Africa on 5th February, replacing Jan Burnette. It wasn’t a talk about their holiday but a game based on the dangers encountered on the annual migration journey of the swallow.
On 12th February Alison Henwood, the manager of the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau told us about their work and organisation. A much smaller number of our members took part the following week - mainly because we were ‘away’ at the Hadleigh Guild on a Monday evening. We were entertained at a quiz evening. Fittingly, it was the table with members from both groups that won.
The last Tuesday of February was marked by a Devotional evening from Graham Hindle. During the last part of the meeting Graham used the time to identify how we saw the church developing over the next few years.
The start of March finally saw the long-awaited evening with Jan Burnette finally getting to continue her life story as a lady toastmaster, as well as being the manager of a function centre in Chelmsford.
On the 12th, Margaret Templeman made a welcome return and brought us up to date with the work of the Timothy Mission to African Townships.
Owen ran one of his usual excellent Social evening quizzes on the 19th.
There was a different evening on the 26th when John Stanton came along and took us through the significance of the elements of the Passover meal.
And on the 28th we celebrated our Communion at All Saints (Sutton, Essex) parish church, when the Rector Rev David Williams officiated at his last Maundy Thursday service before retiring.
There are only a few weeks left to the session so, if you want a ‘taster’ before it’s too late, come along on a Tuesday evening at 8pm. Our programme can be found here.
May 9 (Thursday) 8pm Regional Guild Rally at Rayleigh Methodist Church.
Just a reminder that the box for the Homeless in Southend is in the church all year round, and not just at Christmas. Any items that may be useful can be put in the box - a tin of soup, a tube of toothpaste, anything at all. Why not buy the ‘two for the price of one’ (or other) offers when you visit the supermarket and donate your free one?
MONDAY 4TH FEBRUARY
It
was cold, wet and blustery - a really miserable day. The kind of day when you
feel like hibernating.
A small crowd had gathered outside the library. Suddenly a coach pulled up in the Square, and the crowd shuffled towards it. We were ready to start our journey to London to watch the BBC Radio 4 recording of the sitcom Like They've Never Been Gone.
It was a cosy coach, but as we made our way through very heavy traffic (caused by a serious accident on the A13) we wondered if we would actually arrive in time for the recording. However, with the expertise of our driver, who knew all the short cuts, we arrived in good time.
Roy Hudd, Pat Coombs and June Whitfield provided half an hour's pure entertainment, and it was so interesting seeing them perform so closely.
Although the recording took relatively little time - with only one re-take - everybody seemed to feel that the experience was worth the journey, which on the way back took about half the time the inward journey took so we didn't miss our beauty sleep!
Like They’ve Never Been Gone is expected to be broadcast in the next couple of months. Details of the series should appear at the Radio 4 website when the series is being, or is about to be, broadcast.
On Monday 1st April on Radio 4 you will be able to hear Margaret Stoll’s story of the search for her father. The programme is at 8pm and is part of the It’s My Story series.
Sub-titled In The Past Darkly and recorded in Germany and Britain, the schedules describe it as “Margaret Metcalfe [sic] grew up believing her father to be a war hero. But a painful journey into history reveals that he was a traitor, betraying both his family and his country.”
You may also have seen the interview with Margaret in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine on 30th March and more details about the programme can be found on the Radio 4 website on 1st April.
Tiddlers - Correction!
In 2001 we managed just £130, not the £150 hoped for, but we have now sent, for this year, £20 to Containers of Hope to back up all the practical work done by the knitters in our Women’s Fellowship and ensure that their handiwork reaches those who need it.
We are hoping for a better year financially for Tiddlers in 2002 and new supporters will be very welcome. Thank you for what you do.
Joan and Hugh
If you want to find out more about Tiddlers and how easy it is to take part, have a word with Hugh. All you have to do is to save up all that fiddling small change you don’t want to be bothered with and pass it on. There’s no membership fee and no subscription list!
WESLEY’S HOUSE AND MUSEUM NOW FREE
The Methodist Recorder recently carried the news that admission charges to John Wesley’s House and the Museum of Methodism in London are to be abolished after the London City Road circuit voted that entry will be free until the end of 2003.
Wesley spent the last 11 winters of his life at what is described as the “Mother church” in City Road. Group visits can include a special act of worship and guided tours of Bunhill Fields cemetery (where the mother of the Wesleys, Susannah, is buried) and Wesley’s London. There are lunchtime recitals on Tuesdays and lunchtime services on Thursdays.
Catering can also be provided for groups. Details of all the facilities are available from the Office Manager on 020 7253 2262.
MUSIC AT HIGHLANDS
(Highlands Methodist Church)
The last few meetings of the 2001/2 season are:
6 April Recital by Deborah Groves (mezzo)
5 May Recital by David Stanley (piano)
1 June South Woodham Ferrers Male Voice Choir (Conductor Fred Dyer)
6 July Folk Festival with the Famous Potatoes
All concerts start at 7.30pm and cost £4 (Concessions £3). For tickets and information, call 01702 558381 or 479195.
Give us your mobile phone and the charity gets it!
Turn your old phone into £5 for NCH.
Step 1 Visit your local Tesco or logon to the NCH website to get your FREEPOST envelope.
Step 2 Put your phone in the envelope and post it.
Step 3 NCH gets £5 it’s as easy as that!
For more information, call the Supporter Helpline on 0845 7 626579. This Lo-call number is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Women’s Fellowship
Over the next few weeks, we celebrate our Anniversary on 7th and 8th April. Brenda Gutberlet will be preaching on Sunday morning and Maureen Chambers will be our speaker on Monday.
We will also be holding a Coffee Morning on Tuesday 23rd April at the WI Hall in West Street, Rochford and we will be going to the Easter Offering Dedication at Shoebury Methodist Church at 2.30 pm on 29th April.
There will be no meeting on May 6th because of the Bank Holiday.
Our AGM closes the session on 20th May.
More details about the programme for the rest of this year can be found at this link
Southend Chamber Music Club
Another group meets at Highlands Methodist Church with music as its main theme. The Southend Chamber Music Club meets on seven Saturdays through the year at 7.30pm. The last two meetings for this session are 27th April and 15th June.
The club was founded in 1938 and provides opportunities to play, or just listen, to a wide variety of instrumental and vocal music in an informal atmosphere. Membership is open to both players and non-players alike. The subscription (£10 for individuals, £20 for families and £2 for students) includes admission to up to seven concerts a year and access to an extensive library of chamber music. They particularly encourage young musicians and students and would like to extend its contacts with local music teachers in order to further its activities.
Visitors are welcome to the concerts at a cost of £2.50 (students and children 50p) and you can join the club at any evening. If you want any more information about the club, contact 01702 540428. For information about the programme or how you can take part in a concert, contact 01720 478469.
Christian Radio Update
Premier Christian Radio are delighted to announce that their transmission licence for the Medium (AM) wave band has been re-issued following an extensive campaign when it was thought there was danger that the licence would not be renewed.
Meanwhile, United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) have been unsuccessful in their bid for a national transmission licence. You might remember that the Russian authorities actually GAVE them the frequencies to allow transmission across the whole of Britain. When they went to the British authorities, the frequencies were gratefully received, taken away from UCB and reissued to other organisations! UCB are not just being refused permission to broadcast - they are not even being allowed to make an application Apparently, it is thought that, amongst other things, a national Christian radio station might give offence to other religions.
There are not so many restrictions on digital satellite broadcasts and at the end of March there are several National (and Europe-wide) Christian based television and radio stations. If you have Sky Digital you can find them on the following channels:
TV
655 GOD Channel
656 GOD Revival
657 Inspiration
658 TBN Europe
Radio
873 Premier
875 UCB Europe
876 Cross Rhythms
884 talkGospel
886 UCB-Inspirational
888 Today’s World Radio
890 UCB-Bible
891 UCB-Talk
909 Family Radio
Church building scheme
- latestWe have a new notice board in the entrance of the church and it’s going to be used to keep you up to date with what’s going on.
Much of it is involved with fund-raising, and there’s all sorts of things happening.
Strangely(!) food seems to loom large in all of this. Margaret Rayner is holding a special lunch session (but unfortunately all the places are gone for this - sorry!).
Jean is running a series of Saturday Roast lunches. This is for a maximum of six people at a time over three Saturdays at a cost of £6 a head. Put your name on the list on the notice board if you want to take part in this - you will be well-fed!
Don’t forget to keep an eye open for fund-raising events and activities. If you want to run an activity, let Carole or Owen know - they are co-ordinating the timetable so that events don’t clash.
There is still no news from Manchester, but we are going ahead with fund-raising on the assumption that there will be no significant changes. Naturally, we can’t be over-optimistic, but with your help we can have the bulk of the money in place and work under way by the end of the summer
Pick Your Own - nearly!
Sue Edwards
As some of you know, George and I have an allotment, on which we grow fresh fruit and veg. There is always far too much produce for us to eat alone (why else do you think you had marrow soup at the Guild New Year meal!), so we thought you may like to benefit, while also aiding the building fund.We are currently planning to grow carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, marrows and runner beans. I will try to check shop prices and you will be able to purchase at reasonable cost, with all monies raised going to the fund.
So that we know who would be interested in which goods I shall put a sheet up on the fundraising board for you to let us know - George said this should be a cabbage leaf!
Obviously some crops may be more abundant, or popular, than others, but we will try to be fair in what is offered to whom.
‘Mud,’ glorious ‘mud’
Those who were at the evening where John Stanton told us about the celebration of the Passover will remember the ‘Charoset’. This is the paste-like sweet spread that is part of the prescribed part of the traditional Seder. It’s mortar-like consistency is intended to remind Jews of the bricks and mortar their ancestors laboured with as slaves in Egypt. Coincidentally, it is delicious spread on matzah.
The recipe below has been adapted (for teetotal Gentiles!) from the traditional charoset from the Ashkenazic Jewish tradition from Eastern Europe. Quite different, but equally delicious, charoset recipes, using dates, raisins and sesame can be found in the various Sephardic communities in places such as the Yemen, Iran, Turkey, Morocco, etc
Ingredients
150g finely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc),
30ml sugar or honey (or a mixture),
100-200g chopped or grated apples (about 4 -6 medium apples)
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Sweet wine. You could substitute orange juice or (non-sparkling!) grape juice but this will not be authentic
Mix together nuts, sugar honey, apples and cinnamon until well-blended.
Slowly add the wine until the mixture resembles a thick paste, like mortar.
Taste and adjust cinnamon, sugar, wine amounts.
Time to make: 20 minutes to several hours, depending on how much hand-chopping you have to do.
The quantities are a guide only but this recipe yields about enough for the average family Seder table. If you do like it, you can make extra to share with your friends, but it may not keep for long as it is usually eaten shortly after it is made. Some people prefer a chunkier, less smoothly-blended, charoset.
Some supermarkets and Jewish grocers sell Kosher ground nuts (not groundnuts!). These save a lot of chopping time and lead to a smoother consistency. Some Jews have a special Kosher food processor reserved for preparing the Seder, but Gentiles can use their ordinary food processor and save themselves a lot of arm exercise. And remember, a lot of children like to help prepare food!
Basic recipe from the Usenet Cookbook, contributed by Tovah Hollander of UCLA and found on the website owned by the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Cardiff University. All copyrights acknowledged.
Rochford Methodist Word Puzzle
We’re always on the look out for new word puzzles. Any type of puzzle, but at least one answer and/or clue must be connected with Methodism or Rochford, or both.
What goes on at Rochford Methodist Church?
Sunday
11.00 am FJ Club
11.00 am Morning Service
6.30 pm Evening Service
Monday
2.30 - 4.30 pm Women’s Fellowship
7.30 pm Private Table Tennis Group
Tuesday
9.30 - 11.30 am Happy Hands Toddler Group
12.30 - 2.30 pm Happy Hands Toddler Group
3.30 - 7.30 pm Hildale School of Dancing
8.00 pm Wesley Guild (Oct-Mar)
Wednesday
9.00 am - 8.00 pm Schizophrenia Support Group
8.00 - 10.00 pm Fuchsia Society (4th Wednesday of month)
Thursday
10.45 am RDCF Ecumenical Bible Study (1st Thursday of month)
3.00 - 7..00 pm Hildale School of Dancing
7.30 - 9.30 pm Table Tennis
Friday
8.00 pm Rochford Floral Group (2nd Friday of month)
Saturday
9.00 am - 4.00 pm Hildale School of Dancing
The premises are available for use outside the above times but the general rules of Methodism apply - no alcohol is allowed on the premises. Contact us by clicking here.
And don’t forget:
The House groups meet each month. Listen out for the dates and venues.
Sunday Services
April 7th Women’s Fellowship Anniversary
Brenda Gutberlet
Roger Thomas
14th Sue Sigfrid
Rev Clifford Newman
21st Barbara Hayter
Revd Margaret Deans (S)
28th Revd Margaret Deans (S)
Cecile Low
May 5th Revd Margaret Deans
Rodgers Takavambirwa
12th Church Anniversary
Rev James Goldie
Revd Margaret Deans (S)
19th Jim McAvoy
Jim Ellis
26th Revd Margaret Deans (S)
Circuit Service at Trinity
(All of the above appointments are subject to change at short notice)
Dates for your diary:
March
31 Easter Sunday
30/31 Clocks go forward
April
6 Singathon, Benfleet Methodist Church, 9am - 9pm
6 Music at Highlands, Recital: Deborah Groves, mezzo, 7.30pm
7 Women’s Fellowship Anniversary
13 TWG Quiznight, WI Hall, 7pm
20 Farmers Market, WI Hall
27 Guild AGM & Supper
May
5 Music at Highlands, Recital: David Stanley (piano), 7.30pm
12 Church Anniversary
18 Farmers Market, WI Hall
25 Coffee Morning, Nigeria Health Care Project, 130 Ashingdon Rd, Bring & Buy, etc.
25/26 Circuit Creativity weekend and Service, Trinity and Rayleigh, President of LPMA preaching
June
1 Music at Highlands, South Woodham Ferrers Male Voice Choir (Conductor Fred Dyer), 7.30pm
8 NCH Seawalk
22 NCH Street Collection, Rochford
22 Wesley Manse Garage Sale
23 FJ Club Anniversary
23 Circuit Youth Funday
July
5-7 Breakout MAYC Weekend, Birmingham
6 Music at Highlands, Folk Festival with the Famous Potatoes, 7.30pm
6 Bradwell Pilgrimage, with Adrian Plass
14 NCH Sunday
14 RDCF Shopland Service, 3.30pm
October
13 RDCF United Service
For more cartoons like these, click here
