Herringthorpe United Reformed Church
HURC GLEANINGS
the bits and pieces of family life at Herringthorpe United
Reformed Churchgathered from our church newsletters
and many other sources
HURC50CELEBRATIONS
1958 - 2008
HERRINGTHORPE CHURCH BUILDINGS
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 & CHURCH OFFICERS
MINISTERS
Rev. Andrew Clynes. 1959 - 1967
Rev. Donald Wilkins, 1967 - 197
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
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
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 Meetingsif 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.
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
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
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 Romansas 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
Paulcontinues 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
PASTORAL VISITING TEAM
Here at HURC, we are blessed with a large and growing membership (approx. 140) 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)
MUSIC GROUP
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.
Once again, many thanks to all who voted for this Charity.
Beverley Hirst.
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
Office Address:
Wickersley Road
Rotherham
South Yorkshire
S60 4JN