Herringthorpe United Reformed Church
HURC GOSSIP
the bits and pieces of family life at Herringthorpe United Reformed Church
gathered from our church newsletters and many other sources
Back to Church Sunday – 28 September 2008
If you have access to the Internet have a look at the web about ‘Back to Church Sunday’ (www.backtochurch.co.uk). This was an initiative set up by the Anglicans a couple of year ago and now is supported by Baptists, Methodists and URC along with Fair Trade.
We at Herringthorpe will be joining in this initiative this year, full details are not established yet but we did hold a meeting towards the end of July; so listen out for more information through our weekly sheets and announcements.
However, the idea is for us to invite those who used to attend church but for one reason or another no longer do, to let them know we miss them and care about them and God misses and cares about them even more. We also want to invite those who have been married here or perhaps had their children baptised here. We want to extend a welcome to all and as this year we celebrate 50 years of being on this site to invite people to share that with us.
Our God is an amazing God and is still the God who loves His creation and we want to let people know that. Put this date in your diary and please don’t miss this Sunday, as it will be something special – more details to follow.
Herringthorpe Church Buildings - 50-year celebration
In October of this year we shall celebrate the 50th anniversary of the building of our church. The church was founded in 1955, meeting in Herringthorpe School, under the leadership of Rev. Cyril Grant, a minister at Masbrough Independent Chapel.
The land on which the church now stands had been purchased in 1934 from Dalton Colliery Company for the sum of £500, £400 being provided by the Yorkshire Congregational Union, the balance being donated by Masbrough and Kimberworth Road Congregational Churches. Rotherham Congregational Church, (now the repertory theatre), refused to be involved, believed to be due to a clash of personalities.
Other land in the area was being developed for housing but for over 20 years this site continued as farmland, the only indication of its future use being a sign facing the road, “Site for Congregational Church”. As the trolley buses passed passengers must have looked at the sign in front of the field of cabbages and wondered if it was wishful thinking.
After the war in the Congregational churches of the town there was much discussion about the possibility of planting a new church on the site and there was even a suggestion that the site be disposed of. However, in 1953 a Sunday School was formed, meeting in Herringthorpe School and, as said earlier, the parents agreed to form a Congregational Church in 1955.
It soon became obvious that the school hall was far from satisfactory, only being available at weekends, and the members, supported by all three Congregational Churches, began to plan the erection of a church building on our site. An architect was engaged and produced proposals which envisaged a church at right angles to the present building, (parallel to Rayner’s hedge), with a schoolroom where our church now stands. It was obvious that the embryo church could never fund this proposal, so it was agreed to build the “schoolroom” and use it as the place of worship.
Fund raising was very difficult and members used all the well known devices to raise money, (coffee mornings, beetle drives, sale of paper bricks, etc), But the real breakthrough came when Yorkshire Congregational Union agreed to donate the proceeds from the sale of closed churches, some £2000, plus £1000 from other sources, while the proceeds from the compulsory sale of the Doncaster Road church, (which closed in 1956), amounting to £5000 was also given to our Trustees. Building work started early in 1958, the foundation stone being laid on Saturday, 22nd February.
The final estimate for the building, (after pressure on the architect), was £12,000 excluding furnishings and when the decision was taken to go ahead some £11,000 had been raised. The newly formed diaconate made a list of furnishings needed and the Communion Table, Minister’s Chair, and two Deacons (Elders) Chairs were a gift from Northern Independent College, Bradford, which amalgamated with others to become Northern College, Manchester. The other two Elders chairs were a later gift from Henry Lowry in memory of his wife, Nellie.
The opening date was fixed for 4th October 1958 and at midnight the evening before several ladies, (including the Minister’s wife), were on their hands and knees scrubbing the floor! The opening ceremony was by Rev. Stanley King, recently retired after 30 years service in South Yorkshire, 26 of them at Kimberworth Road. Dr Lovell Cocks, Principle of Western College, Bristol, resplendent in his Doctor of Divinity scarlet gown, preached the sermon.
The first regular minister was Rev Andrew Clynes, recently retired as a chaplain in the RAF and the Church Meeting early in 1959, which called him, was unanimous in its decision. He was a 55year old widower and employed a man servant (batman) to look after him. Somewhat unconventional! At Andrew’s induction there was a guard of honour formed by cadets from RAF Cranwell and RAF planes swooped low and dipped their wings over the church. However there is no official record of RAF planes being in the area at that time!
The church was now faced with providing a manse for their new minister and also it was realised that additional schoolrooms were needed for the growing church. In July 1959 the Deacons approved the expenditure of £2500 on a manse and the house at 499 Herringthorpe Valley Road was bought. A temporary wooden building was erected behind the church for youth, Scouts and Guides. The Manse, (“old Manse” now), was built in 1964 and the extension, (the Clynes Hall), was completed in time for the 10th anniversary in 1968.
For the 25th Anniversary limited edition celebratory mugs were made. And several of us still have them.
(Taken from “The Stag Project”, a history of Herringthorpe United Reformed Church by the late David Rigby.)
It seems appropriate in this, our 50th year, that we look at all the people that have given such good service to our church in it’s first 50 years. We are grateful to Bill Burgess for the investigative work he has carried out in order to compile the list; here it is for your interest.
Herringthorpe United Reformed Church
Ministers and Church Officers
Ministers.
Rev. Andrew Clynes. 1959 - 1967
Rev. Donald Wilkins, 1967 - 1978
Revs. Graham & Elizabeth Caswell 1980 - 1996
Rev. Pauline Calderwood 1998 - date
Church Secretaries.
George Harrison 1958
Alan Jenkins 1959 - 1966
Henry Lowry 1967 - 1984
James Coull 1985 - 1994
David Rigby 1995 - 1999
Steven Wood 2000
Bill Burgess 2001 - 2007
David Buckley 2008 - date
Assistant/Pulpit Supply Secretaries.
Bill Burgess 1982 - 1986
Helen Morrison 1987 - 1998
Roy Roddison 1999 - 2007
Steve & Ruth Roddison 2008 - date
Church Treasurers.
John Kesteven 1958 - 1966
Jack Frost 1967 - 1981
Chris Perrett 1982 - 1986
Doreen Baker 1986 - 1995
Bill Morrison 1996 - 2001
David Mitchell 2002 - 2005
Jack Elwell/Richard Ball 2006 - date
Assistant Treasurers.
Chris Perrett 1981.
Doreen Baker 1982 -
Bill Morrison 1995.
Roy Johnson 1996 - 2001
Doreen Burgess/Shirley Jenkinson 2002 - date
ALSO-
Roger Jenkinson was appointed Church Pianist in 1971
Philip Graham was appointed Covenant Treasurer in 1989
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The following is reproduced, with permission, from the STORIES FOR CHANGE 32 (August 2008) newsletter issued by Commitment for Life Programme of the United Reformed Church.
COUNTRY NEWS
Zimbabwe
Kim Plumpton has been on a 3 week Church placement. She shares her impressions.
A short while after arriving at Harare (the capital), we scanned the supermarkets for groceries and no matter how many times you hear on the news about food shortages nothing prepares you for the rows and rows of empty shelves. For those able to bounce from one shop to the next the prospects are hopeful but for those further out in the rural areas the prospects are bleak. To hear that in countries like South Africa and Zambia, Zimbabwean products are in abundance strikes a note of irony that whilst its people are suffering it is more profitable to sell its products abroad than it is to feed its own people.
'We're all billionaires here' one man laughs as he pulls out a bundle of cash from a plastic bag. A loaf of bread costs 6o billion and considering you are only able to withdraw from the bank 100 billion daily it takes little imagination to realise that they face a daily challenge. By the time I leave they were no longer billionaires but trillionaires. It is a surreal world in Zimbabwe, as you drive around you can see evidence of a once prosperous Zimbabwe. The electricity and water cuts seem to be getting worse and it was not unusual to be without electricity for the whole day.
The resilience of these people amazed and inspired me. The stories I heard from many were heartbreaking, still reeling from the intimidation and the suffering endured by some during the election campaigns. It is difficult to separate yourself from politics in a country where the church must somehow find a way to help repair the damage caused by the brutality which saw many having to leave their homes, others having to come to terms with their neighbours informing upon them (usually through fear), and others tending their physical wounds.
One man told me 'I had to leave my home because the children I teach and my own neighbours turned against me'. It's difficult to equate the people of Zimbabwe with the harsh face that some are confronted with because the people are a humble, friendly, hospitable nation who have somehow been drawn into this awful mess. Their disheartened faces amongst the turmoil grasps at the only thing that makes sense to them, a trust and a faith in God which sustains many and a belief that God is still working on their behalf.
However, it is often challenged when they are faced with death on a daily basis, when the hospital has no doctors and the medications needed for the simplest of illnesses are almost impossible to find. Faith and hope that things will be different soon, is what keeps them going.
Bangladesh
Each year, the weather becomes more unpredictable in Bangladesh. Many people in Bangladesh report that the seasons are changing. Where there used to be six there are now reportedly four and the timings of these are not as predictable as they were.
The weather is also seemingly showing ever more extremes. In the lean, dry or Monga season in the north-west of the country, food and work are scarce. Winters are becoming colder, it has been observed, with temperatures falling to only a few degrees above 0 degrees at night in some parts. CCDB is increasingly providing blankets to affected communities during the cold months.
To make matters worse, this year rice prices are rocketing which will create serious problems during the lean months. The current increase in rice prices is partly due to supply shortages following two disasters that hit the country during the growing seasons last year (severe floods in August and a supercyclone in November).
It is also a result of global price hikes in cereals such as rice due to rising production costs associated with oil price rises as well as many cereal producers switching to biofuels production in various parts of the globe.
CCDB has been responding to the emerging crisis by providing food relief to 4,100 families, targeting 809 severely malnourished children and providing extra work opportunities to over 3,000 people. They have been working with women's groups to raise awareness on nutrition so that children receive a more balanced diet which helps to stave off illness.
"After three months my child's health improved" says Balbuli Kalku a mother who attended the nutrition training, "He's smiling. His grip is strong. His appetite is good."
CCDB along with all of Christian Aid's partners are continuing to monitor the unfolding food crisis and will responded accordingly over the coming months.
Jamaica
Jamaica's poor have been abandoned by the government and left to the mercy of violent criminal gangs, Amnesty International says in a new report. The human rights group said inner-city Jamaicans were being "held hostage" in the battle between gangs and the state.
It said Jamaican authorities had stigmatised and "wilfully neglected" inner-city communities. Jamaica has one of the region's highest murder rates, with 1,500 homicides in 2007 and 272 police killings. Often entire populations are shut down by barricades and unable to leave their homes after 5pm. Children don't go out to school and adults don't go to work because transport is suspended."
The human rights group urged Jamaican authorities to address the underlying causes of what it said was a "human rights crisis". It said the government should act to reduce murder rates, introduce human-rights based policing and reform the judicial system. A total of 300 people have been killed on the island since the beginning of the year.
ACTION
50 Global Days of Action Against Poverty and Inequality
Campaigners in more than 100 countries are preparing for a 50 day long mobilisation against poverty from 1 September to 20 October 2008 organised by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP). The period covers key international events including:
- The High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra (2-4 September)
- The Millennium Development Goals event in New York (25 September)
- World Day for Decent Work (7 October)
- Annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF (11-13 October)
- Global Debt Week (12-19 October)
- World Food Day (16 October)
- Stand Up and Take Action Against Poverty and Inequality (17-19 October)
Stand Up and Take Action is an opportunity for all to take part in a world record attempt for the most people 'Standing Up and Taking Action Against Poverty' at once. Political action such as lobbying politicians or holding public meetings will be key to this. If you are thinking of holding an event during the 50 Global Days of Action, or as part of Stand Up and Take Action, please let us know. There is also a toolkit available including questions and answers, a model opinion piece, media guide and ideas for Stand Up and Take Action. To receive this please email lmeadcforl@gmail.com
Trade Justice Update
No deal is better than a bad deal at the WTO.
Trade talks at the WTO have collapsed. Although this was labelled the 'development' round, the Trade Justice Movement reports that the USA and the EU consistently pushed their own interests above those of developing countries.
Central to the collapse was the failure or rich countries to allow developing countries to impose or raise tariffs to protect their poor and vulnerable farmers from surges of agricultural imports.
Aid and debt update: G8 disappointment
Campaigners from around the world expressed anger earlier this month when G8 leaders in Japan failed to face up to their role in creating climate change and the food crisis and failed to find meaningful solutions. People worldwide signed petitions calling on G8 leaders to take action to resolve the food crisis, address climate change, provide more and better aid and drop illegitimate debt.
Instead, the G8 endorsed the World Bank's 'Climate Investment Funds' which rely heavily on new lending, and a fund of $1.2 billion to fight the food crisis consisting of $1 billion of new loans. Debt campaigners say this is partially solving one crisis, only to create another.
Causes of the food crisis including trade injustice, food price speculation and bio-fuel production remained unaddressed. The G8 pledged to cut carbon dioxide emissions by half by 2050 - however there is no agreed baseline year, no agreement on when emissions will peak and begin to decline and no mid-term target on emissions reductions.
The Government has backtracked on making companies report their carbon emissions.
It has signalled that it intends to drop the amendment won by campaigners that makes it compulsory for UK businesses to report their annual carbon emissions.
It's imperative to act act now so please email Environment Secretary Hillary Benn:
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/stoppoverty/climatechange/actions/email_your_mp.aspx
Linda Mead-Commitment for Life Programme Co-ordinator
United Reformed Church
01702 315981
Commitment for Life is here to help United Reformed Churches work for a fairer world and for peace with justice, recognising that change and response starts with each one of us.
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"There are things of deadly earnest that can only be safely mentioned under cover of a joke"
J. J. Proctor
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THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
MUSLIM THOUGHT
This translation of a televised conversation on the Al-Jazeerah Website reveals a rare glimpse into the outlook of Muslim scholars who are concerned about Christianity's growth:
http://guide.gospelcom.net/offsitelink?b08jul-aljazeerah
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The Church Meeting – a personal view
I would like to take this opportunity to underline my commitment to the Church Meeting, and to stress its value and importance in the life of the church. Herringthorpe URC, as part of the United Reformed Church, is 'governed' by its members, and that means all of us, not our elders, not our minister, not the Yorkshire Synod of which we are a part, not General Assembly, but ALL of US!
The Church Meeting is our opportunity, under the guidance of God, to discern His will for us, both here, and for the wider church. It is a business meeting, but unlike other (secular) business meetings, it opens and closes with worship, as we acknowledge the presence of God in our midst.
While it has a formal structure, we have the opportunity to share 'news of the family', and to openly discuss the items on the agenda – everyone has a voice, and all members have a vote. We vote for who represents us as elders, for our policy on use & maintenance of buildings, and for the ways we reach out into the local community and beyond, as well as on issues referred to us from the national church.
When we become church members part of our commitment is to attend Church Meetings and play our part in the running of the church. This is both a privilege and a duty.
There were only 21 members at the Church Meeting held on June 25th. We did not have a quorum! (Our quorum, determined by a vote at a Church Meeting some time ago, is 25% of all members – we currently have about 140 members). While there was news to share, information to pass on and an opportunity for discussion of items on the agenda, we were unable to vote – in one instance this will have 'slowed down' the process of making our buildings more secure!
I have been a member of the (Congregational and now) United Reformed Church for 50 years, and have always felt it part of my witness to attend Church Meetings if at all possible. I like to be aware of 'what's going off', and how the church I attend fulfils its role as part of the Christian community. I enjoy the privilege of belonging to a church, which allows me to do this, and allow me to speak (and be heard) on matters, which affect the life of the church as it seeks to interpret the will of God in this time and place.
The dates for the next Church Meetings are given above. Please put these in your diary now, and come! You will be welcome!
Ruth Holdsworth
Janette adds: -
Ruth very kindly allowed me to see this item pre-publication. I agree with her, and strongly urge everyone to copy her, and my, commitment to the Church Meeting.
Janette Rigby
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BONSALL 2008
As many of you will know, in May of this year we took a group of young people to Bonsall camp in Derbyshire. It was hard work looking after the group and keeping them entertained. Below is an article written by one of those young people… it makes it all worthwhile.
Recently this year I joined the Icthus youth group and the best part was this year’s trip to Bonsall just outside Matlock Bath. There was a wide range of activities and I loved them all.
On the first day when we arrived late on Friday we all settled down and got ourselves prepared and well together, it was really nice when we first arrived and we all came together like one big family. The theme of the whole weekend was ‘you can shine no matter what you’re made of’. This was a great theme and came from the film that we watched on the Friday night called Robots and it showed us all the great way in which we should lead our life and not feel inferior to anyone due to the fact we are different. On the Saturday, during the day, we played the funniest game called hunt the shirker and it was amazing, the most fun I have ever had. There was me (Jodie), Abby, Victoria and I loved it. The game consisted of various people dressing up as either really extravagant people or really well disguised, I knew as soon as I heard how it was meant to be it was going to be fun. We nearly found everyone round the town of Matlock Bath except one person, Ruth, who in the gorgeous flower patterned outfit, was the hardest to find. I never thought I’d ever say that. But it was a great experience and everyone else enjoyed it too.
On the Sunday we walked down to the church in the morning for mass and the day before we had prepared a piece of drama, talking about the way in which a true Christian acts and that you don’t have to be the rich little girl with all the friends to shine in God’s eyes. We all learned a great lot from that service, such as the life of a potato and how each stage can represent the different stages of Christianity.
In conclusion it was a great weekend and one that I will never forget, everyone made me feel at home, and I believe the theme of the weekend was very appropriate. I learned a great deal and there are so many memories like Ethel and Albert (Mike and Val) and the girls greatest ever talent show of my awful remixing. ‘You can shine no matter what you’re made of’, and that weekend I believe everyone did.
Jodie-Anne McBride
Thoughts of a “Biker’s Moll”
Matlock has been a magnet for bikers for many years, so when I was asked to be a shirker, I thought the perfect disguise would be a “Biker’s Moll”. As I’ve never been near a motorbike this was going to be a monumental challenge. Fortunately, my neighbour’s son is a biker so I was able to procure a leather jacket (4 sizes too large, but they’ll never notice) and a crash helmet. I couldn’t find any leather trousers so made do with black leggings, black tee shirt and boots. My friend is a thespian so I was able to borrow a long straight white wig. There, all set and I’m feeling confident that I’ll blend into the crowd. Who coined the phrase ‘best laid plans and all that’, because who’d have thought that the second Saturday in May in England would be absolutely sweltering!
First amendment to plan; ditch the 200Kg jacket! Still roasting in an all black outfit but too late now, got to grin and bear it. Next problem – the wig. Obviously looks false, and the man-made fibers keep finding their way into my mouth – Urgh! Also, I get the distinct feeling of it slipping sideways. Even bigger problem next – have to walk down the main street past hundreds of genuine bikers sitting outside cafés and suddenly realise that I’m the only lone female; everybody seems to be in pairs. Try to look nonchalant while feeling eyes of ridicule surveying this very middle-aged biker’s moll (chewing gum, I forgot to mention that). Decide to buy a newspaper, but the only shop I can find that isn’t a café is a bookshop. I step inside and try to look inconspicuous but feel like a sore thumb. Decide to buy something to read but the cheapest book I could find at £2.50 was called “The gospel according to Elvis” – not quite our brand of religion but I thought it would go with the outfit.
Back outside I stop on the bridge to watch the passing boats. Uh oh, I can hear familiar voices, laughter, and squeals – quick turn away and keep your head down. Oh no – A light tap on the shoulder followed by the dreaded question – (and its no good pretending to be French like you did last year) – the game’s up – quick, sign the form and hope they move on before the next team spots you. Luckily for me I was hunted down by all the teams fairly quickly which meant I could cut the embarrassment and restore a little dignity by at least removing the wig before I succumbed to plastic poisoning. All in all it was a great time, but next year… well who knows?
Val Ede
Positively barking…
As if the freakish HURC visitors to Matlock Bath in the dreadful Summer of 2007 had not been enough to last its hapless citizens at least a decade (one shudders to recall an ashen-faced ghost and a decidedly dodgy-looking Arab couple) our Noise FM/Ichthus group were determined to inflict renewed mayhem upon the town as they planned Round Two of “Hunt the Shirker”
At the appointed hour, and following a semi-nightmare parking their vehicles, further waves of so-called Shirkers were unleashed onto the streets; an over-sized scout-and-guide pair, a Mary Quant 1967 clone, a shifty-looking biker, a distracted angler – and others – moved to their chosen locations. Faced with these beacons of one-offery, our youth group were to identify these charlatans by asking them a coded question, thus exposing them as “shirkers” who should jolly well be going about more gainful employment elsewhere.
Now, identifying oddness when oddness is what you’re after, on a busy summer Saturday in Matlock Bath is not easy – for oddness is everywhere. The elderly couple buying ice cream at the kiosk suddenly looked so weird, and the guy feeding the parking meter appeared to be in need of urgent qualified medical help. Notwithstanding these terrible distractions, the youth group confidence was boosted as they expertly divided the merely normal from the criminally zany, and their list of suspects grew longer.
“What are these kids doing?” enquired a bewildered child of his mother, as we crossed the Jubilee Bridge in pursuit of a suspect. Possibilities too ridiculous to contemplate were brought to mind by her lightning reply, made with a mouth full of choc-ice, “Their mams and dads have dressed up, duck, and nah the kids have to find ‘em…”
At 3.30 pm, time was – mercifully - called, and people going about their lawful business in the precincts of the Tourist Information Centre were stopped in their tracks, in the manner of Lot’s wife, to witness such concentrated craziness assembled in one place.
A great time was had by all! Our thanks go to ALL who shunned public opprobrium and ridicule to help the youth have a great afternoon. Who can forget the sight of David and Christine Buckley, in wigs, hard-hats and high-visibility vests doing, err, nothing (as road-repairers) and I am still making amends for passing my wife, seated in a café, who survived the whole procedure unidentified by anyone.
Steve Roddison
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"I used to think anyone doing anything weird was weird. Now I know that it is the people that call others weird that are weird." - Sir Paul McCartney
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HURC ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY - THE URC AND CLIMATE CHANGE
One of the subjects on the URC's General Assembly agenda is a serious call to wake up to climate
change, consider our carbon footprint as a church and find out how to reduce it'.
In 1991, as part of a general commitment to a set of values, stated: We commit ourselves as a church
to have a practical concern for the community and the environment locally and worldwide.
In 2001 we produced an environmental statement as part of our code of practice.
At the Church Meeting on June 27th 2007, we updated and re-affirmed our commitment to caring for
God's creation. This began in 1991 when we agreed to have a 'practical concern for the environment
locally and worldwide'. In 2001 we included an environmental statement as part of our Code of Practice.
This listed what we were already achieving, and acted as reminder to us all of good environmental
practice, both for our church premises and for our personal lives. The new Environmental
Policy updates this, to remind us of our commitment and to keep us alert to new initiatives –
since 2001 climate change has become a much more challenging and urgent issue.
Below is our new Environmental Policy, with added comments and information in italics
at the end of each paragraph
1. Since 1991 we as a church have accepted as part of our Christian witness a duty of care towards the environment as God's creation. We encourage environmental awareness, both personally and with
regard to the church premises. 
2. The church supports environmental good practice, both at home and abroad, especially schemes which enable people in developing countries to improve their use of the environment. Our support through Commitment for Life of Silveira House and the Dabane Trust in Zimbabwe has over the years enabled local people to be trained in water conservation techniques to grow more of their own food using organic methods, and thus help to reduce poverty.
3. We encourage the regular use of fairly traded products, (such as
tea and coffee), both individually and at all church-run events.
We have a regular Fairtrade Stall once a month, offering a wide range
of products. We became a 'Fairtrade Church' for this achievement in 2005. Many of the producers of
Fairtrade products use organic methods of growing crops. Rotherham was awarded Fairtrade Town
Status some time ago. When this is renewed, we shall be included in the listings – it is important for the
town to show that its commitment is ongoing and increasing.
4. To avoid the waste of resources created by disposable plates, cups, etc. we have china crockery
together with metal cutlery and encourage all groups to use these.
5. As far as possible recycled paper products, (such as kitchen and toilet rolls), are provided in preference
to new paper products. For the office we have a supply of 'pre-consumer waste' paper, and
use paper certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council which acknowledges good forest management).
6. We support local recycling initiatives whenever possible. The Council has a Recycling helpline – 01709 336003. We produce a list of information about where a wide range of items can be recycled.
7. Due to the limited waste bin capacity at the church, all users are requested to take their rubbish home for responsible disposal, i.e. recycling where possible.
8. The church heating and hot water systems are designed to be as efficient as possible. Wherever
possible low energy light bulbs are used and everyone is encouraged to switch off unnecessary lights, and
not to leave any appliances on 'standby'. Have YOU changed to low-energy lightbulbs in your home yet?
We need as a church to consider changing to 'green' electricity.
9. Maintenance of the church grounds is intended to be environmentally friendly; a "peat-free" gardening policy is in place and as far as possible only organically acceptable procedures are used. In some areas wildlife is encouraged with good ground cover, trees and shrubs. Our 'greenwaste' (grass cuttings, prunings, etc), is collected by the Council's composting scheme.
10.We support a policy to reduce the energy we use for transport, with regard to our personal local and
long distance journeys, and the haulage miles of items, food etc we use. This is an area which we
have scarcely begun to address. We did have a few 'car-free Sunday' initiatives a few years ago. It is one
of the more difficult and most urgent issues, as transport is one of the major sources of carbon
dioxide, a 'greenhouse gas'. At local level, it is so easy to jump in the car, rather than go out and wait for
a bus, even if you live near a frequent bus route, and there are many places, even locally, where
it would be difficult to get to.
A dedicated notice board enables the church members to be kept up-to-date with environmental issues.
If there are any issues you would like addressed please talk to Ruth Holdsworth .
FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
During the 1990s various organisations including the World Wide Fund
for nature (WWF) and DIY Retailer B&Q set up an accreditation scheme
which means that when you buy products made from wood you can be
assured that it comes from independently certified well-managed forests, whether from the tropics or anywhere else in the world. The FSC is now
a worldwide non-profit organisation. To gain accreditation forests have to
be managed to strict social, environmental and economic standards.
Over the years a wider range of products bearing the FSC logo have
become available, not only for DIY projects and furniture, but for kitchen utensils like wooden spoons and kitchen roll holders, and as mentioned above, paper.
PAPER
If you buy paper for office or home, please try to find some which is FSC certified. This is not always easy –
I recently needed a ream of A4 and tried PC World. Not finding any, I asked the young assistant. It was obvious that he hadn't a clue what I was on about! If you can't find it, ask, and keep on asking! If enough people request it, they'll stock it eventually. Staples do stock it and the quality is good. Look out for the logo when you buy greetings cards. Some just say the paper is from 'well managed forests', which is a step in the right direction. Of course, the greenest option is recycled paper, which is also available for home and office use, and uses less resources in manufacture then 'new' paper.
HAVING A BARBECUE?
You can now burn charcoal with a clear conscience, as it is possible to buy some which bears the FSC
logo, and some is UK produced, reducing its freight-miles. I've seen it in Co-op Stores. Again, create
a demand by asking for it! The following magazine article on one of the 'fruits of the spirit' as an
ecological virtue, is produced by Christian Ecology Link for use by churches.
Herringthorpe URC is an affiliated member of CHRISTIAN ECOLOGY LINK 
Click logo to visit CEL website
SWITCH IT OFF FOR LOVE!
There's a bit in the Bible (Galatians 5) that talks about the personality traits that can be evidence of God's Spirit at work in our lives. Whatever you think of the Bible, it's remarkable how
applicable it can be to the environmental crisis our world is embarking upon.Each 'fruit
of the spirit' is an ecological virtue. If humanity were really to live according to these characteristics, we
would necessarily be living in harmony with the rest of creation. The first one is 'love'. We are asked to
love others as ourselves. Should this love be restricted to those in our own families or village
or should it include those who live in a different country, are of a different race or creed, or even live in
the future? If we want to have an inclusive, 'big-picture' love, then we have got to look at our life-styles. Because the lives and livelihoods of people in the future are being endangered by our very way of life.
Our energy-profligacy is releasing too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and threatening to disrupt
the earth's life-support system – its climate. We can live in a way that is loving towards others, our children and our world by reducing the energy we use and therefore the carbon dioxide we emit
PRACTICAL TIP
Use the OFF switch on the TV or DVD when you've finished with it, turn off computers and printers, unplug mobile phone chargers and switch set top boxes and broad band thingamajigs off at the wall. If you want
to pick and choose what to turn off just feel how much heat things generate when they're on standby –
if it's hot it means it's wasting energy -and your money! Leaving things on standby uses about 6% of the
energy the appliance uses when running, and nationally, overall, a whole nuclear power station!
MY FAVOURITE HYMN
There are many hymns I enjoy singing, but yes there is one above all others that is constantly with me.
I don’t know the when, where or why but suddenly “As the deer pants” was always in my mind. On the
very rare occasions that sleep does not come I find myself singing this hymn (very quietly), waiting for a
bus or just sitting quietly it is always there. For me it describes the longing, hope and assurance that I find
in my walk with the Lord. HE IS my friend, my brother and MY GREAT AND GLORIOUS KING.
Kath Whitehead
PAUL WAS A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
ROMANS CHAPTER 12
When I was asked to write a piece for the magazine, I considered various options but finally decided to
share with you my thoughts (such as they are!) on this well known passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans
as it serves at least two purposes for me in the Christian life and is meaningful, in my opinion, both to the
new Christian and those who have been believers for some time but still come across the challenges associated with our beliefs
In a world which seems to be becoming ever increasingly secular it is important that those of us who want
to bring others to Christ are able to express in clear terms what we are describing when we talk about our salvation through Faith and the Lordship of Jesus in our lives and yet I am very aware that our traditions in every denomination have led to the existence of complex symbolic systems which mean a great deal to the initiated but will instantly turn off any interest from those outside our faith. In one hymn alone we can
include references to the Lamb, a Rock and even more incomprehensibly to three people being one!!! Going out into the world and proclaiming the gospel is an essential of our faith, but when our efforts are successful, we need to provide new believers with a ‘second step’, which allows then to move forward in their faith,
which is easy to understand. This piece of scripture encapsulates what becoming a Christian can mean to
the individual as well as being relevant to those whose faith is more mature.
I was recently talking with a group of my students one of whom expressed her belief that Jesus had been crucified by mistake. She thought that he had been a passer by and had been holding the cross for a minute on behalf of the man for whom it had been intended and that this resulted in His own crucifixion. This idea puzzled me for ages before a colleague explained to me that the student concerned did not know the biblical account but had certainly seen ‘The Life of Brian’!!
In the book of Romans Paul’s task in communicating with converts from a Roman culture, was probably much like my own in explaining Christianity to this student, he did not want them to get the wrong end of the stick
but had little upon which to build, he could draw little from their own culture, which was very different from
the Way we are called to follow.
Paul starts chapter 12 with an exhortation to seek guidance in everything we do and to determine God’s will
for each of us. Gods who demanded sacrifices to appease their anger dominated roman culture; these deities wanted the lives of the animals sacrificed to them. Paul’s request for the Romans to be living sacrifices would be easily understood only in this case life had not ended for the believers; it had taken on a whole new meaning. It is perfectly understandable that converts to Christianity in Rome in the early apostolic days, just
as now, would ask the question, ‘Well, what next?’ Equally, even today, this is a question frequently asked by all of us who are at a turning point in life, not only those who are new to Christianity. Paul goes on to use an image used often in the New Testament, that of the Christian no longer being ‘of this world’ to illustrate how we should discern God’s will for us. This is a requirement, I for one, never find easy and time after time God brings home to me that He sees things in ways I had never even considered. We are being encouraged to
strike a difficult balance between two conflicting areas, a secular world and the Kingdom of God. We inevitably stumble along the way. Paul goes on to talk about some of the factors that cause us to stumble.
One of the problems, which seems to have been an issue in Rome (v 3-8) was one that we see appearing regularly in the new apostolic churches. In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul talks at length about a problem which was causing division in the early church, and which may have caused divisions amongst the Romans whereby some believers believed that their gifts were more important than those of others and even that they themselves were more worthy than some of their brethren. James too identifies a similar problem, that of snobbery amongst members of the early church. Paul pre-empts this state of affairs in Rome using an image embedded in early Roman history, that of the body’s different parts working together. It is sometimes difficult for us to see how our contributions to the work of the church are of value and I for one, always feel
that I do not contribute enough to either our congregation or to the wider work. What we must remember is that we may only see a small part of the plan, Paul goes on to say that we must all do what we do best and
not judge the value of our own gifts or those of our brethren by the standards of a world we have been urged
to reject. The overriding message is that we must be ACTIVE in our churches, whatever our gifts.
Having explained what he believes to be the foundations of Christian life Paul continues in verse 9 with
advice as to how that change in our lives should manifest itself in our behaviour not only towards each other but also towards those who are our enemies. He sees the recipe for peace and success as being a
combination of empathy for each other and a mutual desire to consider each other’s needs within our congregations, standing firm in trouble and cementing with prayer.
So far, I’m thinking, not that difficult for me. Paul however, was writing to people who had been part of a particularly hierarchical, vindictive and brutal culture. His request that members of the church, which would include both slaves and masters, see each other as equals in Christ was asking a great deal, now he was asking them to bless their enemies and leave retribution to God! (v 17-19). This flew in the face of the Roman way of life and although I have known occasions when, I am sorry to say, I have instinctively taken matters
into my own hands in an attempt to ’get my own back’. In Rome retribution was the norm, not something we
do on the spur of the moment and regret later. Paul was a Roman citizen and a Jew who had himself completely overturned his life through the power of God after his experience on the road to Damascus, so
what might seem a challenging request to the Romans was to him just another expectation of what is
possible through the Holy Spirit. In today’s terms, they needed to; ’think outside the box’, in order to be
in tune with what Paul saw God as requiring of them.
Summing up my thoughts on Romans 12, I see this passage of scripture as relevant today to new Christians
as well as to those of us who have believed for some time and as encapsulating what is required of us in our day-to-day lives after accepting Jesus as Saviour and Lord. The standards outlined are demanding and we
will never fully meet them, in my opinion. However, I hope that in the power of the Spirit we will have the strength to strive towards achieving them, and leaving worldly standards behind will ‘think outside the box’.
Jenny Leck
CRÈCHE
We have recently being reviewing our church policy for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
As a result of this review we need to make several changes to our junior church arrangements and one
of those changes involves the crèche. In order to comply with current best practice and to protect both
the children and those caring for them we need to have two adults in all the junior church classes
and the crèche.
Under the proposed arrangements, the crèche children and their leaders will leave the service
with the junior church children and will join in the singing in the Clynes Hall with the rest of the
children and young people. This, we hope, will help familiarise them with junior church so that their
move into junior church at age three will be easier. Following the singing, the crèche leader will
then take the children to the usual crèche room with the help of the young people and any parents
who are with the children.
From May, we hope to have all the CRB checks completed so that there will be enough helpers to have
two crèche workers. These will be the current crèche leaders plus a helper; some of the junior church
helpers have agreed to rotate between crèche and the infant class in junior church. We hope that this
will also help the younger children with their move from crèche to junior church. Parents with babies
are; of course, welcome to go to the crèche straight away if they need to do so.
Thank you
Ruth Roddison
REFLECTIONS ON THE YOUTH BALL
Many of you will know that on 15th December 2007 we held a ‘Gala Meal and Youth Ball’, organised by the
Youth Leaders. The event, attended by in excess of 40 people mostly young and all ‘Young at heart’, was a
great success. A ‘disco’ at which Mike played a selection of music he had never heard of but it seemed to be enjoyed by the young people, which was the aim of it all, followed the meal. We hope to organise a similar
event this year so keep your eyes and ears open – and Be There! Thanks go to Geoff and Jean for the food,
which was fab!
Below are the comments from just a few of the attendees…
The ball was great, I really enjoyed it. The food was very nice and the evening was very fun.
It was really nice dressing up! x
Cetait tres bien, merci mes amis! Oohh la la!
My real sentence. Thank you the Ball was awesome! I know all my friends really enjoyed it,
(especially the food! Mmmm)
The music was cool, and I enjoyed getting dressed up.
It was brilliant.
The food was really tasty and was brill.
It was brilliant the food was great.
The disc jockey (Mike) was fab. It was great getting dressed up. Dancing was Brill
HOPE THEATRE CAFE
Broom Methodist Church, Broom, Rotherham - Doors open 7.30 for 8.00pm performance
Hope Theatre Cafe is an exciting new venture starting at Broom Methodist Church as part of 'Hope '08'. Join
us in a relaxed 'Cafe' style venue on the last Friday of every month for a professional performance with a message of hope. The performance will last about an hour and a half with an interval and free refreshments! At the end of the performance there will be an opportunity to stay on and have a chat with the artist, and
those running the event, about any issues raised.
HOPE THEATRE CAFE PROGRAMME
27th June - Regarding Eve Theatre Company - Prophets, Proverbs & Promises
Steph Reese, Tracy Harding & Anne Middleton will take you on a whistle-stop, laugh a minute tour through
the bible with sketches, poems, songs and dance. Highly entertaining.
Call 07748595178 or e-mail annesalway@yahoo.co.uk
PASTORAL VISITING TEAM
Here at HURC, we are blessed with a large and growing membership (approx. 150) with additional adherents
that worship with us on a regular basis We have an eldership of 13 (plus Pauline) and it is the responsibility of
the Minister & elders to care pastorally for every person within the congregation. Each elder is responsible for a group of families to ensure that pastoral care is provided to those families. Recognising that not all elders are
able to carry out all their pastoral duties themselves, several years ago we created a team of pastoral visitors
who, having gifts in this area, are able to provide pastoral care to those members of the congregation that may otherwise be missed. This team, co-ordinated by Kath Whitehead, provides an extremely valuable service to the church, its elders and, more importantly, the congregation. When a member of this team is visiting anyone they are doing it on behalf of the Minister, the eldership and the church. If you become aware of any particular need, where, perhaps, someone feels neglected or overlooked, please have a word with Pauline, Kath or any one of the elders and we can arrange for a visit to be made. We, obviously, do not intend for anyone to be forgotten but, sadly, people do, occasionally, slip through the net; but remember, the pastoral team are there
to ensure we care for everyone.
Thank You
Mike Ede (on behalf of the Pastoral Visiting Team)
MISSION AND CARE GROUP
You may remember in an earlier newsletter, Bill (Burgess) explained that, following the abolition of Districts
within the United Reformed Church, mission and care groups were created. These groups comprise several
(in our case 8) local churches. The second meeting of our group took place at Intake, Doncaster, and was attended by Bill & Doreen Burgess, David Buckley and myself. I approached the meeting with some
trepidation, feeling that I ought to attend, but not really looking forward to listening to hours of debate about issues of interest to only a minority of attendees. How wrong I was!
The meeting was very informal, no minutes and only a loose agenda. It started with a short act of worship
and then the representatives of the churches were invited to share what was good and what was not so good about life in their church. We all shared our experiences and, of course, we at HURC, had lots of good stories to tell; A large congregation, thriving youth and young people’s groups, Alpha and bible study groups, mother and toddler groups, a buzzing church with lots going on. We were honest and felt that a weakness was, despite our mission statement saying we are a praying church, disappointing support to the various prayer groups that are active within the church; this seemed, surprisingly, a common problem.
Several of the other churches reported that the majority of their congregations are elderly and they need our prayers and, if possible, practical support, to build their youth and children’s side. Listening to the
experiences of other churches made me realise how much good work is done in the community by many of them; town centre locations, obviously, help with this. Despite the varying congregation sizes, across the
group there are lots of good things happening and we can all learn from each other and discover what works and what doesn’t; recognising that each church is different and has different challenges to overcome as we strive to recognise and understand what God wants us to do in His service.
Our new moderator, Kevin Watson takes up his post on the 1st March and is planning to visit all the churches
in our group over 3 days (27th, 28th & 29th May)- HURC on the 29th, where he hopes to meet with some elders
and members for an informal chat about life in our church.
The next meeting was arranged for Thursday 6th March at Greasborough, where we will be treated to a showing of a DVD entitled “Veggie Tales”, intrigued? Yes, so were we; the DVD has been used at West
Melton URC at “Kids on a Friday night” sessions, where they have 25 youngsters (under 11) for fun, games, crafts and prayers. I can thoroughly recommend the group (based on my limited experience) so, if you are able to attend then have a word with our new secretary, David Buckley, who will be co-ordinating the visit.
Mike Ede
Music Group
or think you would be interested in playing, please see Steve Roddison or Caroline Chettleburgh.
MY FAVOURITE HYMN
I was asked if I would like to choose my favourite hymn. What a task this has proved to be! Amongst so many
I like, it is proving difficult to choose a special favourite. My mind went back to childhood, when I was about
4 yrs old, being taken to Sunday school, by two big girls. Again to church on Wednesday to a lantern show where we sang “Like a little candle burning in the night…. All things bright and beautiful…” which I liked then and still do now. But there are so many others. There are hymns that make you sad, some that sometimes give you the comfort you sorely need, some that make you happy and some that tell you one of the reasons why you go to church. I like: The Lord is my Shepherd, I’ll go in the presence of the Lord, The Day thou Gavest and so many more that seem to fit your feelings at the time, like ‘Shine Jesus Shine’. So how can I choose a special favourite? Perhaps some will understand how I feel or some will think I am indecisive.
There is a song popular at the moment, though not a hymn to my mind could well be classed as one. The words are so apt, “You raise me up so I could climb a mountain”.
Cora Talbet
GUEST MEN'S BREAKFAST
A special guest men’s breakfast was held on Saturday 1st December 2007 when 35-40 gentlemen arrived
for food and fellowship. This was a special tribute to Philip Rawlings-Smith who died recently at the age
of 95 years. Right up until his death, he was our after breakfast speaker with many recited poems,
stories and jokes.
His family gave a donation to the church in his memory to cover the cost of this special day. In addition,
a selection of Philip’s artistic work, donated by his family, was on display with a note saying, “free to
good home”. All the pictures have been re-housed!
The after breakfast entertainment on this occasion was given by John Gaughan, who used to be lead
guitarist with the ‘60’s band – “Herman’s Hermits”. He gave a wonderful, inspiring, testimony about his
journey from successful pop star, through alcohol & drugs, losing everything & eventually being rescued
and becoming a Christian. He now tours giving his testimony, along with musical interludes, of course.
Several of his CDs were bought during the morning.
All in all a wonderful morning and a fitting tribute to one of our longest serving and much loved friend Phillip.
ARE YOU SAVED?
For reading and meditation—Luke 24:1-35 “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on
the road and opened the scriptures to us?” (v.32)
We need to begin by considering the Christian life as a journey. One of the things some Christians fail to understand is that when we become followers of Jesus Christ we are just starting out on a journey. We are saved when, by faith, we receive the salvation God offers to those who believe that Jesus was sacrificed to
take the punishment due to us. But saying we are saved may make it sound as if all the work has been
done (and in a sense that is true, of course). Some people, therefore, think there is nothing more to do.
A group of Christians from a church, which regarded clerical attire as inappropriate, and a sign of
liberalism, were giving out gospel tracts. As they were doing so, they saw a minister wearing a clerical
collar coming towards them. So one of them went up to him and said, “Excuse me, sir, but are you saved?” With a twinkle in his eye the minister responded, “Yes and no. If you mean am I saved from the penalty of
sin, then the answer is yes. If you mean am I saved from the power of sin, then the answer is yes and no.
The power of sin has been largely broken in my life, but there is still some way to go. If you mean am I saved from the presence of sin, the answer is most definitely no. That is something I wait for with eager anticipation. Now does that answer your question?” The young man felt duly humbled.
There is a tendency for some believers to view the Christian life in terms of making a one-off commitment
and then observing certain obligations, such as praying regularly, reading the Bible, and being involved in
a church. It is much more than that. We are on a transformational journey that will lead us to a deeper understanding of the Lord.
Lord Jesus, thank you that as I begin this year I know I am not alone because you are with me. As we
journey together, open up the scriptures to me, reveal your glory and make yourself known to me. In
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Taken from “Everyday with Jesus”, Jan-Feb 2008, with permission from CWR
NEVER A DULL MOMENT
(or a week in the life of a fabric convenor)
Thursday - Meet the plumber to repair washbasin tap and pipe-work in YAC.
Friday - Check YAC. Find vandalised lock on YAC disabled toilet door. Discover water halfway up air-grate.
Saturday - Check YAC toilet door lock with B.L. Arrange for lock to be replaced. Check air-grate with J.B
and bale out standing water.
Monday - Check fire alarm system and recording system with B.P.
Tuesday am - Kitchen unit door reported broken.
Tuesday pm - Fixed the door while down at church for J&K team. Lack of heat reported in lounge.
Checked lounge heaters, one needs professional attention. Back home - Phone and email A.D.M. to
establish which heater was repaired in Dec. Elders’ meeting at night.
Wednesday am - Meet A.S. after prayer meeting to consider Fire Risk Assessment. Back home - P.L. phoned
to say lead stolen from church roof. Down to church to check state of church roof. Difficult to get into car park because of accident on road. (lorry and car). Phoned Gasforce. Will come within 24 hours with 1/2hr warning. Checked with M.R. Not available to open church for rest of the day. Wait to lock up after police in Clynes Hall taking statement from lorry driver. Back home to phone for plumber. A.D.M. phoned to say which heater had been repaired previously.
Wednesday pm - Gasforce phoned to say they would be at church in 10 minutes. Rush to church to meet Gasforce and let them in and notice lorry driver (woman) still sat in lorry cab in the car park. After about
one hour go out to chat with driver, she says she is OK. Go out later to see if she is OK. (She has no heating
in the cab). She has no money so bring her in church for coffee and biscuits. 4:30pm. We all leave. The gasman to his next job, the driver back to her cold cab. I go home to get ready for a 6.00pm meeting at
work and finally get my evening meal at 10pm.
Thankfully this is not a typical week.
LUKE 24:5:9
5Full of fear, the women bowed down to the ground, as the men said to them, “Why are you looking among the dead for the one who is alive? 6 He is not here; he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was in Galilee: 7 ’The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, be crucified, and three days later rise to life.’ ” 8 Then the women remembered his words, 9 returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest.
ALAN'S TAPE SHOP NOW OPEN
Listen again, not a Podcast but ….. Pauline’s Pearls of Wisdom and Roy’s Wonders are always available.
But Seriously Folks tapes of the Sunday Morning Services are now available. Please contact myself or
Carmel if I am not available on Tel: 01709 542095
PS: Personal copies available at cost. PPS: Tapes re-used after 3 Months, so don’t wait too long.
Alan Stagles
YORKSHIRE AIR AMBULANCE
As you may know the Yorkshire Air Ambulance was selected by vote at the last church meeting to be our new church charity. I would like to thank everyone who voted for this charity and to give you all a small insight into the important work that they perform.
This is a local charity; they now have a second helicopter that is flying from Sheffield airport, and the first one
is based at Leeds Bradford airport. They cover the largest area of any UK air ambulance, 3,923,359 acres. The aircraft is on call 365 days of the year. Each aircraft will carry a doctor, and 2 Paramedics as well as the pilot.
The major advantage is that the helicopter can transport critically injured patients directly to the most suitable hospital, usually in less time than it would take a road ambulance to get the nearest hospital. As there is a
doctor and paramedics on board the patient is treated and stabilised en route. The Paramedics are mostly taken from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and have been NHS trained with several years experience.
They all work on the air ambulance for a period of time then return to road based work to ensure continual updating of clinical skills.
The charity relies completely on donations and sponsorship for it’s funding. Many of you will be familiar with
the accident suffered by the BBC presenter Richard Hammond last year whilst filming Top Gear. He was
treated by the Air ambulance and flown to hospital; this speedy treatment undoubtedly saved his life. As a
result his family and friends and well-wishers raised a large amount of money. It was this money that has
enabled the charity to purchase the equipment needed for a second aircraft and to take out a mortgage to purchase the second helicopter to fly from Sheffield.
The service offered by the Air Ambulance is open to all people, regardless of age, gender, race, religion or financial status. It excludes no one. The aim is to provide help to those in need with critical or life
threatening injuries. You may think that it “will never be me” but you never know. The aircraft is called
to a road traffic accident in our area every day. They are a vital point of help for walkers and other outdoor users, who by the very nature of their activities may be a long way from road access for help.
If anyone would like to know any more about the Yorkshire Air Ambulance then please contact me and I will
do my best to help you. I would also like to give you some advance notice of a fundraising event we are planning for the summer. It is hoped to organise an “Afternoon Tea” event to raise more funds. If anyone would like to help me in this event, I would appreciate his or her help. Once again, many thanks to all who voted for this Charity, and we look forward to seeing you at our event.
Beverley Hirst.
HOLIDAY IN TORQUAY
This year the now annual HURC trip was to Torquay. A reasonable start time was made at 9-30 am from the Church car park and with no delays we were promptly on our way. There were 40 of us this time and it was
great to see several new faces among us. For the record this was the 5th year we have had these trips and the numbers have increased year by year from the cautious start made by 16 pioneers.
A comfortable journey with two on route stops, got us to the hotel by 4pm, which gave us plenty of time to
settle in before dinner and the bar opening at 6pm. This was an all-inclusive holiday so no one had to buy
me a drink! The general opinion was that the meals were good and the rooms clean and comfortable.
During the next three days we had included trips to Plymouth, Exeter, Teignmouth, Dawlish and Buckfast
Abbey, which also took us through some lovely Devon countryside. The weather was once again fantastic for
the time of year. We enjoyed wonderful fellowship, and so if by the time you have read this far in the article
you are thinking how you missed out, then be sure to read on. The next trip will be to Portpatrick in South West Scotland. The travel arrangements and journey times should be about the same. The preferred date is Monday 3rd. November, but it could be a week earlier. All are welcome but the numbers will be limited to a maximum of 48. A preliminary booking has been made for this number so if you are interested have a word with me. A reservation at this time does not involve any payments and a final commitment will be in April when a deposit will be required.
Roy Johnson
PRAISE & PRAYER SERVICES AT 6.00 PM
(usually the 2nd & 4th Sunday’s)
These services contain many elements; a time of worship, which is more informal that the morning service,
a short address, a time of prayer and a time to sit quietly while quiet music, is playing. There is also an opportunity to be prayed for in total confidentiality and with dignity. We believe that Jesus told us to pray for
the sick but we don’t profess to have any special power except the power of the name of Jesus; we are just
being obedient to His command. Do come along and join us in worship on these evenings. The dates for this quarter are as follows.
27th April (NO service on 13th April)
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
These evenings are very informal and usually begin with a fellowship meal being available between 6-7.00pm, the idea being that if you are working you can come straight from work and have a meal, with no need to go home and change. If you normally eat alone, you can share table friendship with others. At 7.00 pm we have
5-10 min worship together, then some Bible input either by video or speaker, then break for coffee and chat before going into groups for discussion. The group discussion is very informal and often is a source to share with each other and support each other. EVERYONE IS WELCOME – Old and New members alike.
HURCWEBNEWS
www.hurc.co.uk www.herringthorpe.2day.ws
Are the addresses that you need to know to quickly access the two HURC sponsored websites and a whole world of local and international information both secular and Christian – as the worldwide web fast becomes the primary means of finding information about everything and the outreach opportunity of the present age. Although only up and running officially for a little over 4 months the HERRINGTHORPE COMMUNITY NEWS HOMEPAGE is already averaging in excess of 2,000 hits per month and increasing, with HURC and our other local Churches placed right at the centre of our local community and in the year of HOPE08 presents us with perhaps an unprecedented chance to show our neighbours just what Christian living and being a part of God’s family is about and that is all that we are called to do after which we read in John 12 v 30-33 – “… At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” In this special year of Church outreach the internet gives us an amazing potential to claim back ground for Christ so let us take every possible step to use this growing technology to show the love of God to those in the Herringthorpe Community and beyond. I’m up for it but you dear brothers and sisters of the HURC family can each play your part by making sure that you keep feeding to me information about all that you are doing in your departments. Also
by ‘gossiping’ about our sites to all your family, friends and neighbours who are on the Internet.
Here are some new things for you to look at on our sites –
The CHRISTIAN BOOK CLUB (agreatread.co.uk) – HURC is now an appointed affiliate of this easy way to purchase Christian books, software, CD’s and other items at discounted prices. Every such purchase through our web link will earn a 5% commission towards HURC charities and mission.
CHRISTIAN HOUSESITTERS (Christian-housesitters.com) – Your opportunity to inexpensively visit ‘other parts’ by becoming an approved CHRISTIAN HOUSESITTER.
CHRISTIANS IN TOUCH (ChristiansInTouch.com) – Find your old Christian Friends, Youth Leader, Minister or contact Christian friends from a former Church and find out what they are doing now. No costs are involved, this site is 100% FREE to use.
EVERYCLICK – ‘Give Your Mouse A Heart’ (everyclick.com) – Register with this search engine via the HCNH/HURC web links and every search that you then make will earn funds towards HURC charities and mission or any other favourite charity that you nominate – at no cost to you or us.
Contribute your ideas and information, pictures, etc., to – Eric Hush – email eric.hush@talktalk.net Telephone 0114 2875494 or just catch up with me in Church.
THE SECRETARYS JOB
As the new secretary for the church, I have been asked if I could say something about the new job, but having been in the job for just two weeks, I am only just starting to realise all the things that the job entails. I am fortunate in a way, because Bill is still around to give advice. He is available when I need to know such things as; “whom I should contact,” “what is the correct procedure,” “where should I send information” “which committee deals with what” “when should meetings take place.”
Having come from a different denomination where I had spent the whole of my life before coming to the URC, the biggest difference that stands out a mile for me, is the number of meetings that there are; Church meetings, Elders meetings, Fabric meetings, Junior church leaders meetings, Mission and care meetings, Outreach meetings, Meetings for other groups within the church, Meetings arranged by Synod. The list seems endless, but fortunately I am only responsible for the Church and Elders meetings. Although I am an ex officio member of all Church committees, thankfully there is a proviso that says I can choose which meetings not to attend.
What I know I must be careful of is that all these necessary things do not take over my life and spoil my relationship with God. As Jesus said to Martha when she felt that she wasn’t getting the help from Mary with
all the practical things that needed doing, “Mary has chosen the better part.”
I suppose the most important thing I can ask of you, is the request that the apostle Paul made to the Romans. “Please pray for me”
David Buckley
POINTS OF VIEW
It was the Christian Birds annual convention. They were there from all over the world. Of course most of the British birds could not compete with the extravagant colours and songs of some of the foreign birds, but in one corner there was quite a heated discussion taking place between three of the British birds. The most vociferous was the little Sparrow which hangs around our houses and hedges, he was hopping around, backwards and forwards chirping at the other two: there was also the Swallow who was finding it quite difficult to stand around as he was the one supremely designed to fly, and there was also the Snipe with his long, thin beak nearly as long as his body. He had had just a short journey from the local mud flats where he had been digging for the latest titbits.
Standing nearby; a smart looking long eared owl was quietly eavesdropping on their conversation although their voices were often raised so much that anyone could have listened in. Let’s ask the owl what it is they are getting so steamed up about.
Well said the wise old owl, it seems that all three of them are claiming that their sort of life is the best, and that every bird should be like them. I didn’t catch all the conversation, but I did hear the Swallow say to the Sparrow, “Why on earth don’t you get off the ground, come and enjoy yourself? Come fly with me, come and see new worlds. Look at things a different way, have a taste of the high life, see things from a different perspective.”
The Snipe didn’t like the attitude of the Swallow, so with a quick prod of his super long beak he sniped, “What on earth are you doing rushing around like you do, wasting all that energy? Slow down. What do you get for all your rushing around anyway? I’ll tell you, just a few flies. You are so busy; you don’t have time to admire the view. You might think you are closer to God up there, but that’s only your opinion.
The Sparrow, who was still smarting from what the Swallow had said, had a dig at the Snipe. Why on earth don’t you get your head out of the mud and come and enjoy what I have? You tell us you are after the hidden things that God has provided, but I’m telling you, there is something better than grubbing around all day.
The wise old owl had heard enough; silently he drifted away from the corner mumbling to himself. I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying, I just caught one word: it sounded something like: -
Twit…..I didn’t catch anymore. If you had been there, what would you have said to them?
David Buckley
"I said a prayer for you today
And I know God must have heard,
I felt the answer in my heart,
Although He spoke no word.
I didn't ask for wealth or fame,
(I knew you wouldn't mind),
I asked him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind.
I asked that he'd be near you
At the start of each new day,
To grant you Health and Blessings
And friends to share your way.
I asked for Happiness for you,
In all things great and small,
But it was for His loving care
I prayed for most of all."
(A Miss J. Kelly - from "Heads Together" 2000
YOU'VE GOT TO LAUGH, Signs seen in church BULLETINS…
The sermon this morning: “Jesus walks on water”
The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus”
Weight watchers will meet at 8p.m. at the church.
Please use the large double doors at the side entrance
OUR BIBLE
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our mobile phones. What if we carried it around in our handbags or pockets? What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we used it to receive messages from the text? What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it? What if we gave it to kids as a present? What if we used it as we travelled? What if we used it in case of emergency? What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
From ”The Review” - Waddington Street URC Durham City
REFLECTIONS
I am thankful…For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes:
Because that means she is at home and not on the streets
For the taxes I pay: Because it means that I am employed.
For the mess to clean after a party: Because it means friends have surrounded me.
For the clothes that fit a little too snug: Because it means I have enough to eat.
For my shadow that watches me work: Because it means I am out in the sunshine.
For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing.
Because it means I have a home.
For all the complaining I hear about the government. Because it means that we have freedom of speech.
From ”The Review” - Waddington Street URC Durham City
Office Address:
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Rotherham
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