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Vicar's Column
On Sunday 22nd April
we enjoyed a very positive annual meeting. It was encouraging
to recognise the achievements of the past year and good to take
the opportunity to thank those who have contributed to the life
and outreach of our church. One concern was raised that the membership
of our electoral roll has gone down by 60 people. This in itself
is not too alarming, as it has emerged to be the trend each time
the electoral roll is revised and then it creeps up again. What
is a cause for concern, though, is the reported belief expressed
by a few people that they would have to "pay" to join
the electoral roll. Firstly, this is not certainly the case -
indirectly the electoral roll affects our total parish share
but there is no individual "membership fee". Secondly,
having said that, it is saddening to learn of church regulars
who do not see it as their place to give to the life of the church
financially, especially in view of our recent extensive stewardship
campaign - "Giving - a way of life". Giving financially,
as we each are able, should be regarded an integral part of our
Christian life - a response to God's generosity to us… I
don't need to preach the sermons again here!
I had no intentions of writing another stewardship article this
month but I just wanted to iron out any misconceptions - forgive
me! If you are a regular worshipper at St John's and have not
yet got around to joining the electoral roll then please do seriously
consider it. It will give you full membership of St John's, entitling
you to vote at our APCM and stand for election to serve on the
PCC. Your church needs you!
May promises to be an eventful month. On May 6th, we will have
a "Guided Eucharist", at both the 8 & 10 am services,
which will entail a commentary on the service, explaining all
the component parts. This is a practical way to round off and
consolidate our Eucharist study courses. The following day will
be the May Fair. Guy and the committee would be grateful of any
help you can offer before and on the day. Pray for good weather!
Then on May 14th, there will be our annual chance for morning
worship with our friends from the other churches in Crowthorne
at a united service at the Church of England School, which will
also mark the start of Christian Aid week. And I was expecting
a quieter life after Easter!
Rev'd Lisa Cornwell
MAY FAIR
The May Fair, Bank Holiday 7th May, is fast approaching.. There
are two key factors which will influence the success of the fair.
The first is the weather - in this respect we can only trust
that we will be as blessed as we have been in recent years. The
second is the level of support that the congregation can generate.
There are several ways in which you can help:
- Assisting on the day - setting
up the field and clearing up after the event. We need help manning
stalls, most are covered, however could you do a short stint
to give the main stall holders a break? Please contact Catherine
Pandya.
- Donating items - we still
need new and used items; gifts for tombolas and raffles, soft
toys, items for the white elephant & toy stalls, cakes for
the afternoon tea tent & cake stall and chocolate for the
chocolate tombola. You can leave non-perishable items in the
foyer.
- Return your raffle ticket
stubbs!
- Selling raffle tickets, we
still have some hour slots unfilled for selling outside Somerfield
on Saturday May 5th. Contact Richard Ireson.
- Plant Stall: Make sure you
have got your plant pre-order form in. The Plant Stall would
also welcome any plant donations that you provide. If you know
about plants and gardening you might also like to help out on
the stall - contact Caroline Ireson.
The May Fair provides an excellent
opportunity for everyone to contribute something to the Church
through our 'time and talents' please enable us all to grasp
that opportunity. Thank you.
On Tuesday 1st May at 8pm we
welcome Ann Potts to our meeting. Ann has lived in Crowthorne
for over 40 years but never imagined she would have a school
in Uganda. She now spends several weeks each year in that Country
assisting the Bishop of Mityana and working with the Mityana
Charity. She has many stories to tell about life in Uganda and
the positive role played by the MU in the lives of the women.
A warm welcome is extended to members of the congregation and
friends to join us at this meeting..
Wednesday 9th May 2.15pm in the Hall, The Countryside in Crisis
Monday 21st May 9.30am The Prayer Group will meet in the Lady
Chapel
Wednesday 23rd May 10am in the Lady Chapel MU Corporate Communion.
Looking ahead to June, we have our outing on Wednesday 13th June
when we shall be visiting Christ Church Cathedral Oxford. We
shall leave Crowthorne just before 2pm returning about 8pm. We
are to have a tour of the Cathedral, afternoon tea followed by
Choral Evensong. There may be some seats available for members
of the congregation who would like to join us. Please contact
Margaret Barnes.
Playtex Moon Walk 2007
Carol Frost will be taking
part in the Playtex Moon Walk on May 19th @ midnight in London
along with her daughter Emma and her friend Laura, along with
thousands of other men and women. She will be doing the half
moon - 13 miles, the full moon is 26 miles, and will follow the
first half of the marathon route.
The walk raises funds for Breast Cancer, last year the total
raised was £6 million!
If you would like to sponsor me you can do so online www.bmycharity.com/carolfrost,
or I will have a sponsor form with me at church.
Annual Parochial
Church Meeting
The Annual meeting was held on 22nd April after the 10am service.
The meeting started with the annual meeting of parishioners.
The Churchwardens were re-elected for 4 years (though the aim
would be for them to overlap by two years each).
The annual Parochial meeting started with Richard Price presenting
the financial report which was accepted. Thanks were offered
to Richard for his sterling efforts as our Treasurer.
Pam Levene reported on the Electoral Register. There are now
227 electors, a reduction of 60 electors. 112 had left and 52
had joined (note you can register at any time and you can still
join the register).
In the elections Christine Rees, Tom Jasper and Guy Sutherland
were re-elected to the PCC. Carol Frost, Brian Turner, Anne Pelham
and Richard Price were newly elected as PCC members. John Claussen-Berg
was elected to the Deanery Synod and PCC.
The Vicar presented the annual reports and fulsomely thanked
all those who had worked so hard over the year. Copies of the
annual reports are still available in the foyer and these give
a very full account of all the activities of our church.
A vote of Thanks was given to the Vicar for her great contribution
to the Parish since taking up her post.
The Life
of Christ
Bookings are being
taken this year's performances of The Life of Christ, on 26th
June to 1st July. This spectacular production charts the life
of Christ from Nativity to Ascension. With the beautiful grounds
of Wintershall Estate near Guildford as a backdrop, the cast
of over two hundred actors, together with horses, sheep, camel
and donkey, bring to life these remarkable events. This year's
production is billed as "a new revised version of the same
wonderful story of Jesus…with new scenes, new characters,
fishing boats and animals".
Some are attending on Saturday 30th June and it may be that we
can arrange car sharing for anyone who would like to come. The
cost is £14 adults, £6.50 children. For further information
see www.wintershall-estate.com or speak to Gillian Gyenes or
Tracy Perrett.
Fairtrade
Please note that during May,
the Fairtrade stall will be available for purchases after the
Sunday morning services on the 6th and 20th.
In addition, the stall will be present at the May Fair on Monday
7th and at the Christian Aid Service at the C of E School on
Sunday 13th.
The joint CTC Christian Aid Service
will be held at 10am
on Sunday 13th May.
Help is required in undertaking the house to house Christian
Aid collection, could you offer your service
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CONFIRMATION 2007
Confirmation this year
will be at 10am Sunday October 14th.
There will be a short meeting for all young people and their
parents interested in joining the Junior Confirmation class on
Sunday May 20th after the 10am service. Classes will be on Tuesdays
(except for Weds June 13th) from 5-6pm in the Church Hall. There
will be 6 before the summer break and 4 in September/October.
We also hold a 'Confirmation Day' on October 6th and the group
is involved in the 10am service on October 7th. The rehearsal
will be at 6pm on October 13th in Church. We look forward to
welcoming all who are interested.
We are also planning an Adult Discussion group to run on Mondays
from June 4th for 6 weeks and then from September 10th for 4
weeks. We welcome all who are interested whether planning to
be confirmed or not or already confirmed. We shall be using the
new Emmaus nurture course, which takes a wide ranging look at
the basics of Christianity and church teaching. Please contact
the Vicar (772413 ) for further details.
Sunday Evening Worship
From May 6th to August 26th, we shall continue with Evening Prayer
at 6.30pm with the following exceptions:
May 13th; June 24th Choral Evensong.
June 3rd Alternative Worship
July 15th Songs of Praise.
We look forward to seeing you at these services.
PRAYING FOR STREETS
In May we are continuing
our cycle of prayer in Crowthorne and will be remembering, in
particular, the following streets:
6th Upper Dukes Ride
13th Grant Road
20th Forest Road
27th Alderbrook Close, Wood End, Barwell Close
If anyone would like to become involved by delivering leaflets
in their area, it would be much appreciated.
New Treasurer needed urgently: Could you
possibly be able to fulfil this vital role in the life of our
church? Accounting experience necessary. We are planning to employ
someone to work in the office on two mornings a week to assist
with the administrative side of the job, thus lightening the
load of the Treasurer. Please contact the Vicar and Richard Price.
Stewardship Campaign: Have you completed your pledge form?
There are more pledges available at the back of church if required.
Thank you to all of you who have returned pledges so far.
Talkabout, 12.30pm, 14th
May. Children's Teeth
and Dental Care, Esmarie Nel. There's a light lunch and crèche.
Pastoral Care has a make
over: The first of
2 training sessions for pastoral visitors took place on Tuesday
24th April and the second with be on Wednesday 23rd May @ 7.30
pm. We hope to be better equipped to care for our church and
community. If you are aware of anyone needing a visit or absent
from church for a while then let the Vicar know.
Deanery Prayer Intentions for
May
Hurst and Winnersh: we have recently run a Parish development
day - please pray for our Parish as we work on the three priority
areas identified. Pray for our working groups who will develop
the themes and actions and look at deepening spirituality, developing
a mission statement and outreach.
Pray for this Parish and the Parish of St Catherine's, Bearwood
as we look at how we can work together to further the mission
of the church in the whole of Winnersh.
Owlsmoor Pray for St George's Owlsmoor as they work on
setting up their new Toddler Group; for a visit from representatives
of the Mercy Ships and the work they do;for a piano recital by
Elizabeth French; and for the ongoing work of the Mission and
Outreach Team.
St Michael's Sandhurst Please pray for:
A solution to the legalities holding up our Curate's house building
project.
Our choir, following the resignation of the director of music
and for a suitable replacement.
Good candidates to apply for the post of Youth Worker and wisdom
and discernment to choose the right person.
Unity and a sense of common purpose within the church.
Musical Evening: On 28th April there was a splendid evening
of music, humour and verse displaying the hidden talents of many
members of the Parish, both young and old (including the Pathfinders).
60 members of the Church enjoyed an excellent meal. Thanks to
all on the Social Committee.
Other social events: The Social Committee are considering
running a Boat Trip on the Thames. Would you be interested, could
you let members of the social committee.
Guided Eucharist: Following on from the Living the Thanksgiving,
exploring the Eucharist study groups, there will be a guided
Eucharist on Sunday 6th May at 10am.
Pam Knight 1931 - 2006: Matthew Knight has very kindly given
two beautiful altar cloths in memory of Pam. These will be blessed
at the 10 am service on Sunday May 6th. He's coming to the service
and looks forward to meeting many of Pam's friends afterwards.
Patronal Festival
June 24th
Guest preacher: Sister Jenny Colby, Church Army
Festival Barbeque
1pm Vicarage Garden
Games and challenges, or just relax
and enjoy good food and company!
Please bring chairs/rugs & drinks
for the younger folk only
Family ticket £15,Adult
£5 young individuals £3
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 London Marathon
Catherine Pandya writes of
her family's day at the London Marathon with Rachel Matthews
"As a family we decided that we would support Rachel as
she ran the marathon by waiting at the Children's Society base
in East Smithfield. We were nearly thwarted by British Rail but
fortunately having a husband who used to live in Fulham has it's
uses as we found parking right by Putney Bridge tube station
and no charge on a Sunday!! We arrived in good time at Tower
Hill to see the front runners passing the 22 mile point! At this
stage we did not know that Rachel's train had broken down and
she had had to run 4 miles to get to the start!! Rachel had missed
her running partner but found someone else to run along with
instead; but she said it had really unsettled her for the first
part of the race. Rachel had estimated she would get to us by
a certain time and we were starting to worry that we had missed
her when Paul and Megan - Rachel's husband and younger daughter
- spotted us in prime position on the The Mint pub steps. They
had had problems with public transport and ended up coming by
river bus to Tower Bridge. Paul suddenly spotted Rachel amongst
all the other purple and orange vests and we all screamed like
mad. Luckily she heard us and even managed to shout back to Paul.
She looked very confident, cool despite the soaring temperatures
and in really good shape. The advantage of this support point
was that we saw her at the 13 mile point and then as the only
point where the marathon runs back on it's self again, at the
22 mile stage. Her supporters (over 18) had time for a beer and
a picnic lunch before squashing ourselves back onto the Pub steps
to watch her come back. It's really difficult to pick out 'your'
runner in amongst the stream of runners continually going past
but this time it was Eleanor, my daughter, who suddenly screamed
"RACHEL" and we all joined in. She had found herself
an '11 minute mile pacer' to run with who she introduced to us
as Mike - all this whilst she continued to run and carry his
11 minute mile flag!
Afterwards Rachel told me that it was very uplifting to know
that 'your' supporters were waiting for you and after she had
passed us the first time she had looked behind her so she knew
what to look out for on the way back! She said 'Mike' was very
supportive and kept encouraging her with things like 'you are
into single figures now of miles left to run...' and so on. Rachel
had been concerned that her knee might give her problems and
by the 4 mile point she could feel some twinges. She said she
just started to pray and asked God to give her the strength to
carry on and she felt the pain roll away. Everytime she felt
the pain return she knew she had to have faith in prayer and
away went the pain. Rachel beat us to the finish line but rang
Paul as we came out of St. James Park tube to say she had finished
and Hannah, her elder daughter, was with her. All the runners
times are individually recorded by a 'chip' in their shoe which
is removed at the end of the race but which also monitors them
around the course to ensure no cheating! It took us a while to
find her at the Children's Society base in the old Cabinet War
rooms way down in the bowels of the earth - as Rachel said the
last thing she needed was lots of steps going down after she
had just run 26 miles (plus the extra 4 at the start)! Rachel
finished second of the TCS 71 runners and was having a well-deserved
massage when we finally got to her. She looked remarkable, obviously
physically and mentally tired but still alert and moving around
easily. She did tuck into a plate of sandwiches and several cups
of tea and said it was hard to stop running - she felt like she
needed to keep moving.
It was the first marathon my family and I had watched 'live'
and it was a privilege to see so many people, often with their
own disabilities, doing so much to raise money and awareness
for their charities. So a big thank you to Rachel for her mammoth
effort and for all the money she has raised for children and
young people a lot less fortunate than our own."
So far Rachel has raised over £1,800 for the Children's
Society. It is not too late for you to add to this, see: http://www.justgiving.com/rachelmatthews
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