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Summer Evening Services at St. Catherine’s:
Over the summer months there will be Holy Eucharist at 6.00 pm on the first Sunday of the month: 2nd April, 7th May, 4th June, 6th August, 3rdSeptember. There will be no service at 8.45 am on those Sundays.
In addition:
Sunday 2nd July, 6.00 pm, Songs of Praise
Sunday 1st October, 6.00 pm, Harvest Evensong
Ascension Day is on Thursday 24th May. As well as the normal service at St. Catherine’s,there will be a Holy Eucharist at 7.00pm at St. John’s.
Special Service: Sunday 21 May at 3:00 pm at New Brancepeth Methodist Church to celebrate‘Aldersgate Sunday’
This is a particularly Methodist event, celebrated by Methodists every year on the nearest Sunday to 24 May. It remembers and celebrates John Wesley’s experience of God on 24 May 1738, when he felt his heart ‘strangely warmed’ in a meeting in Aldersgate St. in London:an experience central to his evangelistic endeavours over the rest of his life, and therefore to the formation of the Methodist Church after his death.
It normally includes singing quite a lot of hymns written by John’s brother Charles! This year the service will be led by the Superintendent Minister of the Durham & Deerness Valley Circuit, Revd. Shaun Swithenbank
We invite friends from the Churches of theDH7 Churches Together area to come and join in this celebration with us.
Any enquiries: Bill 0191 378 2883
Brandon Parish Magazine
May 2017
St. John’s Church, Brandon
St. Catherine’s Church, New Brancepeth
Sunday services
St. John’s - 9.45 am Holy Eucharist
St. Catherine’s- 8:45 am Holy Eucharist(6pm on 1st Sunday from April)
Weekday services – followed by tea/coffee
Wed. 9.00 am St. John’s – Holy Eucharist
Thurs. 9.30 am St. Catherine’s – Holy Eucharist
Evening Service: Mon. 7.00 pm St. John’s – Holy Eucharist
Revd. Carl Peters, The Clergy House, Sawmill Lane, Brandon,
Durham, DH7 8NS. Tel: 0191 6803875
Other Contact Telephone Numbers
St. John’s: David (Churchwarden) – 3789718;
St. Catherine’s: Joe (Churchwarden) – 3739927; Liz-3731554
Website
Events:
Prayer for Our Churches: St John’s, Tues. 16th May,09.30 - 10.15 am. Over the summer months we shall meet in St. John’s. All welcome.
St. Catherine’s Lunch Club:- Friday 12th May, 12.15-2.00 pm.£4.00 for hot lunch + dessert. Make a booking with Joe– 0191 3739927 or David– 0191 3731554and if you want a lift contactJoe or David.
St. John’s Spring Fayre: Sat. 13th May,12.00 to 2.00 pm. Crafty ladies stall, raffle, tombola, Mother's Union well-loved and next to new gifts, refreshments, home-made cakes, plants outsider stalls with candles, knitted gifts/cushions, decorated glass ware, Usborne books and Bellas gifts. We are looking for tombola items, cake donations, raffle prizes and what we really need is people to come.
Thanks to all who helped at the brass band concert on 22nd April, especially to the brilliant Lanchester Brass Band. It was a splendid and well attended occasion, followed by an excellent ‘faith’ supper, and it raised £300.
Thursday Coffee at St. John’s: Thurs. 31st May at 10.30 am.
Churches Together meeting: Wed. 10thMay, at 7.00 pm, at St Joseph’s Catholic Club (near the church) in Ushaw Moor. Coffeefrom 6.30.
The main speaker will be Phil Togwell, national co-ordinator of the '24/7 prayer movement'. This has been a worldwide movement which has developed over the last few years, encouraging and helping people to pray in all sorts of ways and places. All are welcome - You don't need to be the official CT rep! Phil's input will be very accessible for a lot of people.
Brandon Parish Annual Church Meetingtook place at St John’s on April 5th.There were reports from Fr. Carl, church wardens and a financial report. David Jocelyn and Joe Anderson were re-elected as Church Wardens with Ian Carter as Deputy. Elected PCC members and Deanery Synod reps names are at the back of both churches. The first PCC meeting of the new council will be on Wed. 24th May at 6.30 pm.
This year marks 60 years of Christian Aid Week. British churches founded Christian Aid in 1945 to support refugees who had lost their homes and possessions in the Second World War. Twelve years later, they launched Christian Aid Week to help fund this ongoing work among refugees and other people hit by famine and disasters.
Can you help? As last year, we will be collecting at Tesco, Langley Moor, and helping pack bags. Please sign up at the back of the church to help for an hour or more on Friday 19th or Sat. 20th May between 10.00 am - 4.00 pm. People are very generous and last year we raised £395.
For your prayers:
- The first Annual Meeting of the proposed St. John’s Hall will be held on 11th May. Thank God for all the hard work that many have put into this project. Pray for a constructive and encouraging meeting as the future plans are presented. This project offers us a real opportunity for mission to our comminity in offering facilities to various organisations and individuals. Pray that they will be realised soon, and that problems can be overcome.
- ‘OPEN THE BOOK’ assemblies in New Brancepeth Primary School. In April, we gave two stories, on 3rd April the Crucifixion of Jesus, and on 25th April the Resurrection of Jesus. Although not easy concepts to put over to the children, we involved children acting in both stories and the audience seemed to be well engaged, for which we thank God. The next one is on Monday22nd May when we shall present the story of the Ascension. Pray that we will be able to present it in an effective manner for the children to understand something of what it means.
- ST. CATHERINE’S LUNCH CLUB. Again this is something to thank God for. On 13th April, there were 30 guests signed up for the event. As well as a very tasty meal provided by Ashbarton Catering, we had aninteresting illustrated talk from Keith James who lives in Brandon, about the history of Brandon & Byshottles. Apparently Byshottles comes from Norwegian and means a collection of small villages, so here refers to the villages around Brandon. Please pray for our next lunch on Friday 12th May. It is quite a lot if work for the helpers from St. Catherine’s, but we feel it is very worthwhile.
- CHRISTIAN AID WEEK, 14th – 20th May. Please pray for the work of Christian Aid in meeting the needs of refugees and those affected by famine and disasters, whether natural or man-made. Pray especially for our collection at Tesco, and offer to help if you can.
St. John’s Hall:
11th May at 6.00 pm: The first AGM is to be held at church. The 2016 accounts will be presented and a report on what has happened since the fire. The project managers will be there to answer any technical questions on the new build and show the new plans.Hopefully there will be news on the new lease and when building work can start.
For general questions please email Lesley r give to Father Carl or David Jocelyn by 7th May so answers can be prepared in advance.
Thank you to everyone who came to the St. George's day event on Sunday April 23rd. There was entertainment, a quiz, bingo, a raffle and hot beef sandwiches and roast potatoes. This was the third event funded by a big lottery grant with St. John's Hall, Meadowfield British Legion and Brandon Carrside youth and community project.
For any enquiries please see Facebook stjohnshallmeadowfield or contact Lesley
Advance Notices:
Sunday 30th July is a commemoration of the battle ofPasschendaele. A parade will leave the British legion at 10.40 am followed by a service at St. John's Church.
Saturday 19th August there is a trip to Beamish to celebrate an anniversary of the Durham WI's and Beamish summer fun. Tickets £3 for adults and £1 for 4-16 years old. Includes day pass, transport and food voucher. Bus to leave at 9.30am from the Co-op car park. Limited places so book your place ASAP.
Ascension Day – Some comments by David G-S.
Ascension Dayis the 40th day of Easter and commemorates the ascension of Jesus into heaven 39 days after resurrection on Easter Sunday.
You will find the Biblical accounts of the Ascensionin Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:6-11. During the forty-day period before he ascended into heaven, the risen Jesus preached and intermingled with his apostles and disciples.
According to tradition, Ascension Day was first celebrated in 68 AD; however the first written evidence of theAscension Day Feastoccurred in 385 AD.
It is perhaps somewhat ignored compared to the major festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. But it is a very important event in the gospels and in our understanding of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry.
In some churches and cathedrals with towers, it is celebrated by a service or anthem sung from the top of the tower. I think they do so at Durham Cathedral, but not this year due to the ‘top hat’ on the cathedral tower.
I well remember at my College hearing an anthem sung from the top of the chapel tower, relayed by a rather crackly PA system to the crowd below. The crusty old Dean is reported to have told one choir member, not noted for his godly living, ‘This is the nearest you’ll ever get to heaven!’
I came across this piece written by the distinguished Christian poet and Anglican Priest, Malcolm Guite. He recently spent a term here in Durham at St. John’s College as a visiting academic.
For me it helps say something about the significance of Ascension Day.
‘Here is a sonnet for Ascension Day, which falls this year on the (24th) of May. The mystery of this feast is the paradox whereby in one sense Christ ‘leaves’ us and is taken away into Heaven, but in another sense he is given to us and to the world in a new and more universal way.
His humanity is taken into heaven so our humanity belongs there too, and is in a sense already there with him. “For you have died”, says St. Paul, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God”.
In the ascension Christ’s glory is at once revealed and concealed, and so is ours.
The sonnet form seemed to me one way to begin to tease these things out.’
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed.