Summer 2011
Summer is here! The sky is blue and the sun is shining even before we are awake. As we open the curtains the built in ‘feel good ‘ factor of the sun shines forth, raising our spirits and our hopes and expectations for the day, banishing – albeit temporarily – the gloomy clouds of the economy and everyday worries. Yes, suddenly life feels great. It make us want to thank God: that we are able to enjoy the sunshine, the colour of flowers and the smell of their perfume, the hum and song of insects and birds and the beauty of butterflies, the love of family and all the good things that life in Wheatley Lane entails.
In church, in late spring, we celebrated the festival of ‘Pentecost,’ not so well known outside church because it has no secular significance – such as Easter eggs and Santa Claus gifts – but it is of particular significance to Christians. Pentecost follows 50 days after Easter, and is widely regarded as the birthday of the Christian Church. It Is a time when Christians everywhere celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to those first disciples, which enabled them to go out into the world to preach and begin the church’s mission to the world. The book of ‘Acts’ in the New Testament Bible recounts vividly what happened to the disciples, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and chronicles their travels as they spread out from Jerusalem and journeyed around the Mediterranean, to Rome, Greece, Cyprus, and present day Turkey, spreading the message of Jesus.
On July 17th Sol Balberro, the inspirational founder and leader of Kanlungan is coming to England. We are all looking forward to seeing her again and giving her a taste of life in and around Wheatley Lane. She will visit our church, the school, the village uniformed organizations etc. Details of Sol’s schedule appear elsewhere in the newsletter, but as it is partly a holiday for Sol, we very much welcome other offers to show her around, or entertain her during her visit.
Frank and Esther Beaumont are giving you all an opportunity to meet Sol at their home on Saturday July 23rd. Somewhat different from the garden party, games and buffet snacks of the past couple of years, this year Esther and Frank invite you to join them for ‘a scrumptious Buffet Lunch’ from 12noon to 2-30pm. You are all invited, although there do have to be some limits for practical reasons. So get your ticket now, to help with catering and to avoid disappointment. All proceeds from the lunch will be donated to Kanlungan. (Tickets, priced at £10, are available from: Frank & Esther 866837, Linda Rogers 618827, Kath Heyworth 699895, Jill & Howard Hartley 690492, Maureen Thornborrow 603254 )
Just as Sol arrives, sadly we have to say ‘Good bye’ to Heather our youth worker from N. Ireland. We shall miss her, and we thank her for the time and effort she has put into helping in school and in the village churches. We wish her well in the future and are delighted that she will be working with Pais back in Ireland
Most of us are looking forward to a break, be it time away on holiday, or just a chance to relax and be free to please ourselves. We all need time to refresh ourselves - even newsletter editors.
Very late one night and still doing the newsletter, your editor was caught nodding over the computer (but Sh! don’t tell anyone). Jerking back to reality, and leaning back in the chair …….I gazed at the screen, and my eye settled on the picture of our church on the first page. I never noticed that before !!! Is there….? There is! There’s someone looking in through the church window! Dreaming? Imagination? Probably, (I was half asleep), but lean back and try it for yourself. (It’s more obvious on computer, but you could try putting the picture at arm’s length.)
But have you noticed that the RH door of the church is ajar? So why look at church from outside? ? Why not pop in?
As a church we are always seeking to become more welcoming, more user friendly, more in tune with the needs of those outside. So maybe you might feel like popping in. You are really welcome to join us, at any of our services or social events; or simply pop in to relax and feel at peace. Enjoy the summer. God Bless.
Rev. Gareth Higgs Tel: (01282) 694439
Dear Friends,
It is always great to write these letters enjoying the warmth of the sun, with Wimbledon on the TV and summer holidays just around the corner. Here's hoping the weather will be kind to us this year!
I write after spending time reflecting on what God is saying to our church and community at this time. I don't claim to be writing as though dictated from God, but I do have a sense through thinking, praying, watching and conversation that God is calling us to refocus on Him. As a church we have lots going on, both continual weekly things or bigger projects that we're working towards. When I was in theological college our tutors assured us that the quieter summer term balanced out the hectic pace of autumn and spring. After 5 years at this role full-time I'm not so sure they were right! And it’s in the business that it’s easy to loose sight of the purpose and point of what we are about. Perhaps you have felt the same, as the pace of work and family life seems to continually accelerate.
God's people have experienced similar things throughout their being. Being busy and loosing focus seems to be so easy for us, and distractions along the way only seem to increase this. What the people of the Old Testament found, was that time and time again God called them back to Him, to centre their lives around Him, to re-arrange their priorities based on His word and wisdom, and to allow Him to be the beginning and end of their activity.
Perhaps God is calling us back to Him both as a church and as a community. Perhaps God is asking us to reflect on what is important? What are our priorities? What is the no.1 in our life? As a Christian I want to assert firmly that my experience has been that when I've attempted to build my life around God's values, when I have sought to put Him first above all else, they seem to have been the most blessed and fruitful times of my life.
So as a Church, maybe its time to deliberately and intentionally make sure that God is the focus of all we are about - the centre and most significant factor in all we do. Maybe for our community, we are being challenged to put God and His values at the centre of our lives, that in doing so we might know the enormity of His blessing through all we do and seek to be.
With every best wish for a great summer. Gareth
SUNDAY SERVICES July and August
Sunday July 3rd / 9.30am / Service conducted by Rev Gareth Higgs. Including. CommunionSunday
July 10th / 9.30am -
6.00pm - / Service conducted by Rev Gareth Higgs.
Themed service with
Rev. Gareth Higgs and Tim Broughton
Sunday July 17th / 9.30am / Service conducted by Rev Denise Free
Sunday July 24th / 9.30am / Service conducted by Rev Gareth Higgs, with Sol Balberro from the Philippines
Sunday July 31st / 9.30am / Service conducted by Rev Gareth Higgs. Including Communion
Sunday Aug 7th / 9.30am / Service led by Erica Atkinson
Sunday Aug 14th / 9.30am -
6 00pm - / Service conducted by Rev Phil Clarke
Rev Gareth Higgs
Sunday Aug 21st / 9.30am / Service led by Rev Gareth Higgs.
Sunday Aug 28th / 9.30am / Service led by Rev Gareth Higgs Including Baptism
Our Church Website:
www.wheatleylane-methodist.co.uk
We are fast approaching the end of this school year and are very busy with final assessments for each child. We have also planned a number of events that we hope the children will enjoy in the last half term. Last week we had a Geography week, where each class studied a different continent. We ended the week by having a World Games Day which the children found energetic and entertaining. We are also going to have a Skipping Workshop Day and a theatre company performing The Railway Children before the end of term.
The children have taken part in Netball, Football, Cross Country and Athletics interschool competitions this term. They will also be doing a swimming gala before the end of term. Four of our year 6 children took part in the Big Green Safe Challenge quiz which involved 24 other school and encouraged the children to think about road safety and saving our planet’s resources.
On Friday 24th June we had a very successful Summer Fair, with lots to do, see and eat. Our thanks to all of you who came to help and support us at this event.
On Saturday 9th July we are having a car washing event. For just £5 you can have your car washed and get a bacon butty and drink whilst you wait. This is being run by the Friends of Wheatley Lane School (FWLS) in order to raise money to be used to support a whole range of different things, such as equipment for the new infant playground and the buses for school trips.
The leavers’ service this year will be Wednesday 20th July at 2.30pm and you are welcome to come and share this special occasion with us. Mrs. Pollard will also be leaving us in July to return to her senior leadership role at Marsden Primary School. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank her for all the hard work and commitment that she has shown Wheatley Lane School in the last academic year.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and healthy summer.
Mandy Kroukamp
Headteacher
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Dear Parents, Grandparents and Carers
Please support your local Methodist Youth Project
by considering having your child’s Birthday Party at
“The Basement Project”
located under the Central Methodist Church in Burnley.
Or maybe book it for a non-alcoholic dance or Christmas Party We cater for all ages and actively work with disability groups.
For further information, tel. Loiuse or Adrian 839323
to confirm availability, room sizes
and of course find out the prices.
Or have a look at our website to find out what we offer
www.thebasementproject.co.uk
Carrots Eggs and Coffee
A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee …. You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each one on a high fire. Soon the pots came to the boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She lifted the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she said, “Tell me what you see.”
“Carrots, eggs and coffee,” her daughter replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked her daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
“What does it mean, mother?” she asked.
Her mother explained that each of these objects faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid centre, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The coffee beans, however, were unique. After they were put in the water, they changed the water.
“Which are you?” Mum asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?” “Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?