The Green Spire
The Parish Magazine of
St Andrew, Orford with Longford
June 2016
School News 2
From the Vicar – What do you expect of a sermon? 3
Summer Fun Day and Fair 5
The EU Referendum 6
What’s on in June 7
Who’s On in June 8
Archbishop of York’s Pilgrimage of Prayer 10
News from United Society – supporting the poor in Brazil 11
Shop ‘til you drop 12
Notice Board 14
Teddies on the Move 15
God’s will be done 16
Time to Pray 18
Snippets from the Church Times 19
Changing lives and communities together – CUF 20
As I see it – by Churchmouse 21
Praying for the world-wide Church 23
Vocations, vocations, vocations 26
From the Registers 27
Prayer Intentions for June 29
The Green Spire is published monthly. Copies are 35p per month, or £3.50 for a year’s subscription – normally payable in January. Enquiries about advertisements welcome.
School News
Children in Year 6 acquitted themselves well during the recent round of SATs testing. The results are only published towards the end of term but they approached SATs week with a calm and mature attitude. Some of the papers were more challenging than others – reading was particularly tough. However, there is life after SATs. There are many activities planned so there’s no chance of being bored but life will be a little more relaxed from now on.
Children in Year 2 are also tested against national targets but these are all teacher assessed, removing much of the stress that older children face. Many of the tests that the children see are ‘practice’ tests, again removing some of the natural anxieties that they might otherwise face.
The introduction of a new curriculum has caused unprecedented chaos in the world of education as we move away from levels to age-related-expectations (AREs). When introduced, AREs were seen to be significantly higher than the old levels and point-score system – typically they amounted to a full year’s progress, so what might have been expected of a Year 4 child would become the expectation at the end of Year 3!
Congratulations to Miss Humphreys who is getting married over the Whit Holidays. She will be known as Mrs. Humphreys-Graham.
Children in Years Three and Four represented our school at the Tag Rugby event at the end of the half-term. They behaved beautifully and all had lots of fun in spite of the rain!
We also played a game of football against Meadowside last night. Although we lost the players showed great team spirit and we’re aiming high! Well done to the Team!
And now for a well-deserved holiday. We will be closed for two weeks and re-open on Monday 13th June. Have fun!
From the Vicar:
3
Three boys in the playground were bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls them a poem, and they give him £20”
The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a song, and they give him £50.”
The third boy says, “I’ve got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!”
A recent article in the Church Times surprised me. Headed “Sermons are valued, but keep it short”, it described the findings of a survey of 1,800 people undertaken by Christian Research.
Most of the findings were to be expected. Nine out of ten people thought sermons were still an essential part of Sunday worship - that came as a relief! The favoured length of a sermon was ten to twenty minutes. I have to admit that anything more than fifteen minutes is too long for me, and ten is nearer the mark. Fourteen per cent of man and six per cent of women surveyed thought a sermon should last more than thirty minutes!
Where I was really surprised was to find that (according to the survey) neither men nor women favoured personal anecdotes or attempts at comedy and a sense of humour was seen as important by only two per cent of those polled. Personal anecdotes were welcomed by just one per cent of those questioned!
Visiting other churches, you soon get to know who preaches a ‘good’ sermon without asking. Members of the congregation will sing the praises of their vicar if he or she is good, though they rarely mention the others! Of those I know about, most use funny stories and personal stories to illuminate their preaching. Often, it is those personal and funny stories that stick in the mind and are remembered long after the sermon was preached.
It’s not just local clergy, either. When David Sheppard came to St Andrew’s, he once spoke about being on sabbatical in a remote part of Scotland and being delighted to see the postman drive up the lane in his red van. He likened it to the story of the Father of the Prodigal Son going out each morning to look for his son, hoping that he might be returning.
When David Jennings was Bishop of Warrington, he began a sermon by saying that some people like baths and others showers. The bath was a time for quiet reflection before a busy day, and he went on to encourage everyone to find some space in their busy lives to spend time with God each day – time we traditionally call prayer.
So from a personal point of view, I’d love to know what you think. Are personal anecdotes and funny stories expected, or are they taboo as the survey suggests?
Sermons, though, are just ten minutes (or more in certain parishes!) in a whole week. What about the rest of the time?
If we are known as church-goers, we may well be judged by our approach to life. Without even realising it, people often look at us and ask what difference our faith makes. Is it a positive benefit, or a negative one? Do we have something that others would like in their lives too? Our lives are like sermons to the people we know and meet. So do we project a happy, fulfilled and caring personality? Are we seen as fun to be with, or someone who takes everything so seriously? While we shouldn’t be seen as making a joke about everything, being miserable isn’t much of an advert for faith, either. Like a good sermon (in my opinion), we should have a lighter side with a certain depth behind it.
No two people are the same. We were made as individuals and there will be certain things in life that more important to us than other people. So there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to Christian discipleship. Some of us are more naturally outgoing; others tend to be quiet and almost reserved. I guess the message is to be true to ourselves and not try to be something we clearly are not.
We’ve just celebrated Pentecost, the beginning of the Church. The first apostles (those who were literally ‘sent out’) must have been a pretty mixed bunch. Peter may have been the most outgoing, possibly even gregarious, but each of them made a significant impact on the places they visited.
We stand in the footsteps of the first apostles – the modern equivalent, if you like. We are the ones on whom the future of the Church rests so it vitally important that we try at all times to reflect the love of God in our lives.
I believe that a little humour and one or two personal tales, told sensitively and at the right moment, will go a long way to help others come to faith. What about you?
Michael Raynor
4
Summer Fair and Fun Day
DON’T FORGET: Saturday 2nd July – the date of this year’s Summer Fair.
We’d like to make this year’s Fair the best in a long while and we’ll only do so with everyone’s help. One of my abiding memories is of those occasions when everyone has rolled up their sleeves and taken part. On the other hand, I don’t remember how much we took each year!
SO what can be done?
DRAW TICKETS always contribute significantly to the total raised. It’s an opportunity to involve people who may not be with us on the day. I think we often shy away from asking family and friends yet I’ve heard people say they would have been pleased to help if only they’d been asked. Selling tickets might feel like an individual activity, but if we all sell tickets, the cumulative total could be very impressive.
As in previous years, we will be asking for donations of £5 towards the first prize. If you can help, there will be a list in church shortly.
HELP ON THE DAY: we have lots of side-shows but we don’t always have enough help to run them all. If we have enough people, you can take it in turns and also look around.
BOTTLES: Beryl can usually use a few more bottles, especially the ones to be used as ‘star prizes’. Have a word with beryl about what she still needs.
PRIZE TOMBOLA: Margaret still needs a few more prizes for her tombola stall. If it’s something you’d like to win, others are most likely to want to win it as well.
CAKE STALL: We are always grateful for home-made cakes and biscuits on the day.
SPREAD THE WORD: we know that there are other fairs going on at this time of the year so the best way to get a good crowd is to personally invite family and friends to come and support us on the day. Mention it when you sell draw tickets; invite people when you meet them. If you can’t help, please come along anyway. And do take a poster – whether you put it up in a club or shop, or in your front window, it all helps to bring people in.
EU Referendum
Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the water, the referendum pops up again! By June 23rd, most of us will have heard enough to keep us going a lifetime, but don’t let that put you off voting. The referendum has been billed as a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity. Whether you feel that opportunity should have been offered or not is another matter: it will take place later this month and the result will have a huge impact on life in this country.
Just before the General Election, the House of Bishops issued a statement advising voters to look at the bigger picture. In effect, they were telling us not to think solely about what was in it for us as individuals; but rather to consider how our vote would affect other people, both at home and further afield. I believe the same is true of this referendum
The Church of England has produced a prayer to be used over the next few weeks as the referendum approaches. You might like to use it in your prayers.
God of truth,
give us grace to debate the issues in this referendum
with honesty and openness.
Give generosity to those who seek to form opinion
and discernment to those who vote,
that our nation may prosper
and that with all the peoples of Europe
we may work for peace and the common good;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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What’s on in June...
Sunday 5th The Second Sunday after Trinity
June 10.00am Sung Eucharist
12 noon Holy Baptism
Thursday 9th 8.00pm Thursday Ladies' Club meet at the vicarage
Saturday 11th 3.00pm Garden Party in the vicarage garden to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday
Sunday 12th The Third Sunday after Trinity
10.00am Sung Eucharist
Wednesday 15th 7.30pm Deanery Synod meeting at St Mary, Great Sankey
Thursday 16th 1030am Eucharist together with Year 4 children
Sunday 19th The Fourth Sunday after Trinity
10.00am Sung Eucharist
Monday 20th 7.30pm Licensing of the Rev Rebecca Crowe at the Church of the Ascension, Woolston
Thursday 23rd 7am – 10pm European Referendum – voting in the Hall
7.00pm Access Music Service Concert in church
8.00pm Thursday Ladies' Club meet in the vicarage (to be confirmed due to concert)
Saturday 25th 2.00pm Wedding of Michael Stanway and Kelly Cameron
Sunday 26th The Fifth Sunday after Trinity
10.00am Sung Eucharist
Thursday 30th 10.030am Eucharist together with Year 6 children
Friday 1st July 9.00am Buses leave for Warrington Walking Day
Saturday 2nd 9.30am Prepare and set up for Summer Fair
1.00pm Doors open to Summer Fair
Sunday 3rd The Sixth Sunday after Trinity
July 10.00am Sung Eucharist
12 noon Holy Baptism
There are regular weekly celebrations of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) on Wednesday evening at 7.00pm and Thursday morning at 10.30am. Celebrations on Saint’s Days are published on the Sunday sheet. All are welcome.
Who’s on in June…
2016 / sides-people / reader / intercessor / offertory5 Jun
Trinity 2 / I. Appleton
M. Harrington / O. Vowles / M. Harrington / K. Rowan
P. Smith
12 Jun
Trinity 3 / J. Devereux
M. Ellison / N. Lee / W. McKinnon / B. Boscoe
B. Glover
19 Jun
Trinity 4 / L. Giblin
P. Smith / Don Miller / M. Brown / C. Worrall
R. Worrall
26 Jun
Trinity 5 / F. Greatorex
O. Vowles / L Manfredi / F. Greatorex / I. Appleton
M. Harrington
3 July
S Thomas / B. Boscoe
B. Glover / A. Gorman / N. Lee / E. Chorley
J. Stamp
2016 / Tea Rota / Counting collections
5 Jun / F. Greatorex / L. Giblin / I. Appleton / M. Ellison
12 Jun / M. Harrington / L M / V. Carter / J. Raynor
19 Jun / B. Boscoe / B. Glover / B. Boscoe / B. Glover
26 Jun / M. Ellison / P. Smith
3 Jul / F. Greatorex / L. Giblin / I. Appleton / M. Ellison
2016 / Read on Weds Eve / Hall Cleaning
5 Jun / N. Lee (8 Jun) / Fr Michael
12 Jun / D. Kirk (15 June) / J. Devereux
19 Jun / Fr Michael (22 June) / C. Worrall
26 Jun / N. Lee (29 June) / Fr Michael
3 Jul / D. Kirk (6 July) / J. Devereux
Church Commissioners support mission