This a a page for topical comments, feel free to mail your suggestions to the webmaster
FIRST AID COURSE
To
conform to Heath and Safety regulations, we need to have
more people in the church who are qualified “First
Aiders”. They may need to be available at specific
events, but more generally they would need to be
available when they are in church.
Our Scout
group has arranged a two day course on the weekend of 15th/16th
May 2010 and there are six places available for church
members who would like to become qualified “First
Aiders”. The course is being run by the St John
Ambulance and will take place at their headquarters in
Hook Road (opposite the car park). The course will run
over the two days from 9 am – 7 pm (approx.) a packed
lunch should be taken but there will be ample supplies
of tea and coffee.
If you
would like the opportunity of participating in this
highly regarded first aid course and receiving your
official “certificate” the church is funding the cost of
these six places.
Please contact
Carol Thorley to register your interest. Places
will be allocated on a first come-first served basis
SHOE BOXES FOR ROMANIA 2010
Hurrah! This year 46,755 boxes were sent to Romania!
Well done to all who helped: I’ve
heard that the appreciation and joy with which they were
received is difficult to describe, as every year turns
out to be different.
Boxes are always greeted with a sense of wonder and,
usually, disbelief that this whole box would be for
them.
Giving a shoe-box ‘just doesn’t seem enough’ but the
feeling pales when the person receiving it - just for a
few minutes - feels they are loved and important and
that somebody, somewhere actually cares enough for them,
to give them a gift.
There is a sense of wonder and disbelief that this whole
box could be for them; many children have to be
encouraged to open the boxes even when their parents are
standing right next to them.
What struck the helpers most was the acute poverty that
people are still living in, either in ghetto blocks or
houses which are falling down and with no glass at the
windows!
Ann Styche
Those who would like to know more can visit the
Link Romania Website
www.linkromania.co.uk
Churches
Together in Epsom (CTiE)
A meeting
of the above group took place at EMC on Monday 16th
November 2009 and I’d like to give you a short report on
the discussions which took place.
The
meeting was pleased to welcome three representatives
from the Besom Group working in Ashtead and the
surrounding area. Besom is a nationwide charity (http://www.besom.com/)
which was set up in 1987 with the aim of providing a
bridge between those who want to give time, money,
skills or things and those who are in need. The aim is
to “sweep away suffering”.
We also
had a report from Alan Payne, Treasurer of CTiE on the
work of Christians Against Poverty (CAP). This group
was set up in 1996 to provide a professional and
friendly debt-counselling service. The impact of
helping people out of debt is immense, marriages have
been saved, children have food on the table and many
driven to the edge of suicide, have been given hope.
Currently there are three trained CAP Money coaches
based at Epsom Baptist Church Centre and they hope to
run four free courses next year on a quarterly basis.
If there is anyone who is interested or would benefit by
attending a course, I will be happy to give you Alan’s
telephone number.
The
meeting was unanimous in it’s enthusiasm about both
these areas of outreach and it has been decided to hold
an open meeting on 13th March next year so
that every member of the congregations in Epsom who hold
a passion about outreach can come along and find out
more. I will let you know once the venue has been
decided – either one or both of these schemes could make
such a difference to our local community.
We also
had a short report on the Dovecote Bookshop, which like
many businesses, is suffering from the recession. The
Christian book trade in this country is suffering, with
the announcement in early November that the main
wholesaler (STL) has been placed in Administration.
Please support the bookshop when you can.
Dates for
your diary:
18th
– 25th January 2010
– Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity
13th
March –
Saturday
morning Open Meeting
The
following churches are members of CTiE:
http:/www.ctie.org.uk
for more info.
Epsom
Methodist Church (including Chinese Congregation),
St
Barnabas,
St
Martin’s of Tours,
Christ
Church and Christ Church on The Wells,
St
Joseph’s Catholic,
St
Stephen on the Downs,
Epsom
United Reformed,
Epsom
Baptist Church Centre,
The Kings
Church,
Generation Church,
The
Religious Society of Friends
Carol Thorley
EMC Representative
“SUNDAY SCHOOL” -
MEMORIES
During the morning service on September 20th, Pam
Brogan (on behalf of Junior Church) advised the
congregation that I had retired as Junior Church
Superintendent and presented me with a delightful
patio-tub of flowering plants. I was almost four when I
joined Primary (there was no “Beginners” in those days)
in the Upper Lounge and then moved down to the
Intermediate Department in the Lower Lounge. The boys
sat on the left hand side and the girls on the right. We
sat on benches with sliding backs; to create individual
classes or groups for ‘story time’. It was whilst in the
Intermediate Department I was asked if I would help the
Registrar by stamping the Star Cards. There was morning
Sunday School at 10.30 and in the afternoon at 3 pm.
Prizes were awarded for good attendance at both
services, and I still have some of my prizes – always
books. Every May there was the Annual Sunday School
Festival in the afternoon and as many as possible were
packed into the Chancel, from where we recited and sang.
On the following evening there was a Special Rally,
Prize Giving and a Guest Speaker. One year the Guest
Speaker was ‘Uncle Mac;’ of Children’s Hour fame. In
1946, Junior Church was re-structured to meet the large
numbers with attendances in excess of 300 and I was
invited to be the Registrar for Primary. It was at this
time we started the Beginners Department in what is now
the Crèche Room. This was the year I became Leader of
the Primary Department with approximately 100 youngsters
packed in the Lower Lounge, with 30 teachers each with a
helper (no Health and Safety rules in those days!) The
Junior Department met in the Upper Lounge and the
Seniors were allocated the Church. Every Tuesday evening
there was the Preparation Class and Bible Study led by
the Minister,( who was also JC Superintendent) before
going to our separate groups to plan the service and
activity for the following Sunday. No one was allowed to
teach or take a class if they had not been present at
Preparation Class
To meet the growing numbers, the evening services were held
in The Ebbisham Hall across the road (now part of WH
Smith’s) , and the Junior Church Festival, Nativity and
combined Christmas party were all held there. We were
grateful to the Epsom Brotherhood (who owned the Hall)
for their helpful co-operation, especially with the
Harvest Festival Services.
In 1962 the decision was made to move Sunday School to the
morning to enable families to worship together and we
became Junior Church embraced in Family Worship. It was
a real advantage having the Church Hall which had been
built in 1959.
In 1969, Knowing that I was retiring as Primary Leader, I
was invited into the Vestry as a ‘Society Steward’ as
they were called in those days and when my term of
office ended I had my arm twisted to take over the role
as Secretary and then Junior Church Superintendent
Our very large numbers in Junior Church covered a wide area
and for a while we had a double-decker bus which went to
the Wells Estate and on to Ruxley to collect more
youngsters. The late Mrs. Betty Challener composed a
poem, based on Flanders and Swann song ‘Hold very tight
please!’ Unfortunately there was nowhere to keep the
bus during the week, and we acquired a coach with a rota
of drivers – but we had the same problem – so that had
to go!
However, the decision was made to start a Sunday School in
Ruxley Lane and some of our staff volunteered their
services. Since the meetings were held in the School it
meant everything had to be taken and brought back to
Epsom. The Sunday School became very successful and in a
short while a Worship Fellowship started which became
the Ruxley Lane Methodist Church. However, the decision
was made to attach the new Church to the Wimbledon
Circuit – and not our Sutton Circuit even though many of
the founder members were still actively involved in the
Sunday School as well as various offices as Stewards etc
until the church was well and truly on its feet.
I have greatly enjoyed working with our various Ministers,
especially Michael Meech. James Grottick and Peter
Graves in planning our week-end retreats at Dunford
House in Midhurst which led to many of our young people
taking church membership. There were also the Circuit
week-ends at The Links, Eastbourne and on one occasion a
member from our Wallington Church made available a
double decker bus which confused people standing at bus
stops because it did not stop for them…………and then at
Eastbourne it was too big for the Drive so everyone had
to carry their bags, musical instruments etc quite a
distance. Not a good start – but soon forgotten!
I never thought as a youngster sitting on a small wooden
chair in the Upper Lounge that I would become actively
involved not only in Sunday School/Junior Church but all
aspects of church life not forgetting the Circuit and
District – it has indeed been and still is a great joy
and privilege.
We have had a wonderful team working in our Sunday
School/Junior Church over many years facing each new
challenge and I know that the present team are doing
just that as they face current day challenges – every
blessing to Pulse (the new name for Junior Church) and
Sparklers.
Tom
Styche
Half a century of music
The church was pretty full for the 10.30am service on 5th
July 2009 to acknowledge about half a century of fine
Christian service that Ron Perkins has given to EMC as
Church Organist. Ron had chosen the hymns and played them
superbly. With some of them the congregation almost raised
the roof and there was a fine spirit of worship as we were
seeking encounter with God.
A few days before I asked Ron if he would write some paragraphs of
reflection on being a Church Organist. I quoted some of his
sentences during the service but, with Ron’s permission, I
am sure that you would like to enjoy his words as I did.
Dear David
My time as organist at EMC began in the early 1960s on a snowy
February morning, when I arrived late at church to find a
small congregation being led by Len Barnett and Eric de
Bourcier was playing the old pipe organ. Len somehow knew
that I was an organist and he came down from the pulpit and
asked me to take over. Our organist at the time was Pam
Culverson. Pam was a school teacher and later accepted a
post at another school. I became deputy to Pam, and when
she left, I became full time organist. Pam has only
recently died and her funeral was attended by Tom and Ann
Styche.
I regard it as a real privilege to be a church organist, to lead a
congregation in worship, in singing some of the great hymns
of Charles Wesley and others. Much later I shared the organ
duties with Richard but lately I have been forced to reduce
my playing because of increased back pain. Next to the
minister the organist is the most important person at a
service, and it has been my object always to seek to make
the congregation aware of the words and the meaning as they
worship God.
Being organist for such a long time I have seen about six ministers
come and go, and I must say I have got on well with all of
them and have been thankful for their support and
appreciation, and this applies to the present minister as
well!
The first organ I played at EMC was a pipe organ which was a bit of
a squeeze box, and we then proceeded to an electronic
organ. At that time electronic organs were in their early
stages and the one we had caused quite a few problems. Our
present organ was installed by Makins, a leading electronic
organ builder. This was installed in 1982 and has given
good service, but I hope that one day in the future it might
be possible to get a new organ which will grace the new
building. Electronic organs these days are equivalent to
pipe organs and much less expensive.
Later in the 20th century we had a choir, ably led by
Robin Snelson, the husband of Christine, and we used to sing
special music at Easter and Christmas. Sadly after the
premature death of Robin the choir was disbanded.
There are other occasions which fall to an organist such as weddings
and funerals. People still say to me, “You played at my
daughter’s wedding”, and I had completely forgotten. The
special services I remember most were the midnight
communions on Christmas Eve, where it was a tradition for
that great Methodist Donald English to conduct the service –
and at which the church was always packed. Donald and
Bertha were frequent worshippers at EMC when they were
free. Donald began his sermon with a joke which had nothing
to do with what he said afterwards, but got the congregation
on his side. Sadly both Donald and Bertha died into early
retirement and were unable to spend their last years in
their lovely house in the Cotswolds. One of the saddest,
and yet most joyful occasions, was my privilege to play at
Bertha’s Thanksgiving Service at EMC and I still have the
Order of Service, and a wonderful letter of thanks for my
contribution from Donald, which I treasure.
One other recollection of my time as organist concerns the TV
Services we did. There was a period in the 1980s when Peter
Graves and David Bridge shared the ministry. During that
time six services were televised in lent, being shared by
David and Peter. The organ duties were shared by Richard
and myself. I must say I found it quite stressful having to
play a hymn at a seconds notice!
I finish by saying I am sure the musical part of worship is safe in
the capable hands of Richard, Beth, the singers and other
musicians and with a very talented Youth Pastor arriving in
August.
I am so grateful, David, that you insisted on taking my final
service seeing you are waiting for an operation. I wish you
well and a speedy return to EMC in good health.
With all good wishes,
Ron Perkins
That is all typical of Ron’s modesty and his care for other people.
We all hope that, on that celebration day he was well aware
of the love, care and appreciation that the church has for
him. As the following day, 6th July was Ron’s 90th
birthday, the service concluded with the singing of ‘Happy
Birthday to you’, the presentation of a glossy balloon by
his family and a gift presented by Harvey Morris, the senior
member of the Leadership Team, as an expression of our
thanksgiving to God and our deep gratitude to Ron for the
way in which his talent, commitment and affection have
graced the worship of our church for nearly fifty years.
Mission
opportunity ham-strung by Methodist
Church ‘clunking fist’
A probationary
minister who planned to offer communion in Trafalgar Square
as part of a unique arts initiative was blocked by officials
within his own church. Revd Kenneth Chalmers wanted to
create ‘a sacred space’ on the square’s vacant fourth plinth
as part of the ‘One and Other’ arts project. But Methodist
Church headquarters intervened after complaints that a
probationer was not authorised to conduct communion.
Instead, Mr
Chalmers led a worship service while the superintendent
minister of Methodist Central Hall stepped in to offer
communion from the foot of the plinth. Revd Martin Turner
was dismayed by the church ruling, saying that a ‘wonderful
initiative’ had been hampered by ‘the great clunking first
of the Methodism establishment’. Nevertheless, Mr Chalmers
said he was elated by doing the ‘God thing’ in public in the
historic tradition of Methodists like John Wesley and Lord
Soper.
Source:
Methodist Recorder (6/8)
Nearly two thirds of teenagers
don't believe in God, according to a study by Penguin books.
Published: Daily Telegraph 22 Jun 2009
Teenagers even say family, friends, money, music and even
reality television are more important than religion.
It
also emerged six out of ten 10 children (59 per cent)
believe that religion "has a negative influence on the
world".
The
survey also shows that half of teenagers have never prayed
and 16 per cent have never been to church.
The
study of 1,000 teenagers aged 13 to 18 was carried out by
Penguin to mark this week's publication of controversial
novel 'Killing God' by Kevin Brooks.
The
book is about a 15-year-old girl who questions the existence
of God.
Kevin
Brooks, the author, said: "I can't say I am surprised by the
teenagers' responses.
"Part
of the reason that I wrote Killing God was that I wanted to
explore the personal attitudes of young people today,
especially those with troubled lives, towards organised
religion and the traditional concept of God.
"How
can the moralities of an ancient religion relate to the
tragedies and disorders of today's broken world? And why do
some people turn to God for help while others take comfort
in drugs and alcohol?
"These are just some of the questions I wanted to
consider... And I wasn't looking for answers."
The
research also found 55 per cent of young people are not
bothered about religion and 60 per cent only go to church
for a wedding or christening.
Only
three out of 10 teenagers believe in an afterlife and 41 per
cent believe that nothing happens to your body when you die,
but one in 10 reckon they come back as an animal or another
human being.
A
Church of England spokesman said: "Many teenagers aren't
sure what they believe at that stage of their lives, as is
clear from the number who said they don't know whether they
believe in God.
"On
the other hand many of these results point to the great
spirituality of young people today that the Church is
seeking to respond to through new forms of worship alongside
tradition ones."
Hanne
Stinson, chief executive of The British Humanist
Association, said: "It confirms that young people - like
adults - do not need a religion to have positive values.
"The
'golden rule', which is often claimed by religions as a
religious value, is in reality a shared human value - shared
by all the major religions and the non-religious and almost
every culture - that predates all the major world
religions."
SUBJECT: Australian Prime Minister
Calls a spade, a spade
What a Leader - The Whole World Needs a Leader Like This

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told
on Wednesday (6/5/2009) to leave Australia, as the
government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential
terror attacks.
Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying
he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.
Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or
Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about
whether we are offending some individual or their
culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have
experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of
Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of
struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women
who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic,
Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language.
Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn
the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some
Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because
Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded
this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly
appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If
God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of
the world as your new home, because God is part of our
culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why.
All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and
peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we
will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once
you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our
Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life,
I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great
Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'..'
'If you aren't happy here, then LEAVE. We didn't force you
to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country
YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, WE will find
the courage to start speaking and voicing the same truths.
MPs urge Christians not to lose faith
in politics
Christian politicians across the spectrum are hoping the
current expenses row will not turn Christians off politics.
Speaking to the Baptist Times, Tory MP David Burrowes said:
‘The important Christian response is – yes, be concerned, be
upset, be angry – but also be one of the few groups in this
country to affirm the importance of praying for and
supporting politicians and Christians in politics.’ Burrowes
is parliamentary chairman of the Conservative Christian
Fellowship and shadow justice minister. Christian Socialist
Movement director Andy Flanagan and Liberal Democrat
Christian Forum spokesman the Revd Simon Wilson also warned
against the growth of cynicism.
Source: Baptist Times (14/5/09)
Cricket Club 2009
Report
As usual, quite a large number of us have been regularly
attending the indoor nets practice sessions at Ewell Castle
School on Tuesday evenings since the end of January 2009, so
hopefully this will have honed up all our skills in batting
and bowling to enable us to achieve even a better
performance than last year. By the time you read this we
will have played several matches and hopefully won the
majority of them!
Match Reports are on
cricket.emc.org.uk.
We have a very full fixture list this season (25 matches)
including our usual Tour weekend in Somerset during July
where we play 3 matches. However, in addition, we also have
an evening game in June against our local Epsom & Ewell
Council, again at Gibraltar Rec. Our new Fixture Secretary
is Paul Pennock and a big thank you must go to him for the
work done on this seasons fixtures. Our previous Fixture
Secretary was Tom Hill who is now Secretary. (Not too sure
whether this is a promotion!!)
A Fixture list of venues, etc are
here

Our support last year at our Home matches was quite
encouraging. However, there is room for plenty more if you
fancy a trip along to Gibraltar Recreation Ground. We even
provide chairs and drinks and you will be warmly welcomed
if, albeit, you can only stay for a short time.
For you cricket ‘Buffs’ or anyone else really; have a look
on our web
site. There are write-ups and photos of each game (you
may recognise some people!) and a History of the club
written by Bob Prescott plus quite a lot of other
information as well. This web site is ably managed by Cliff
Douthwaite and his time is much appreciated.
Next year, 2010 is our 25th Anniversary and we are already
considering some special arrangements for that occasion.
On behalf of all the players and their WAGS, we look forward
to seeing you during the coming summer.
Geoff Morris
It doesn’t seem
nearly 6 months ago that I was writing (above) about the
forthcoming 2009 cricket
season; although we still have one match left to play
which is our usual end of season game against Mynthurst CC
at Leigh. On September 12 th we played against Sutton CC
(one of the oldest cricket clubs in Surrey having been
formed in 1857) at their own ground in Sutton and did
ourselves proud by winning yet again on a very close finish.
As for this
season, it has broken all records in different areas, not
least that to date we have won 16 matches out of 22; the
previous best being 9 many, many years ago. (The past
players of Blackfords and the Hays may well remember those
days!!) A lot of individual performances have also been
exceeded but in many ways the wins have been about ‘Team’
performances and really that is what the cricket ethos is
all about.
Whilst some of
our members are not directly connected with Epsom Methodist
Church (mainly because they reside out of the area and in a
number of cases attend a church elsewhere) they are
established members of our team and enjoy so much the spirit
in which we play. Feedback from a number of our opponents is
also very positive with a lot of the newer fixtures wanting
to maintain the liaison for following seasons.
We have also
enjoyed seeing our regular Fan Club and supporters at our
Home games with 28 attending a few weeks ago at our Sunday
Fun Day against Reigate & Old Coulsdon CC (unfortunately
coinciding with the welcoming of the new ministers at
Carshalton) There are
many pictures of that afternoon including a very special
cricket tea!
From October we
will be having a rest for a while, but will re-commence
again in January 2010 at the cricket indoor nets at Ewell
Castle School in Ewell. Tuesday evenings 9pm to 10pm.
Currently, we
have around 18 or so members with a nucleus of around 8/9
who play regularly each week, but we are always on the
lookout for some more young players. If you need more
information, please
e-mail me.
Next year is our
25th Anniversary and there are plans being formulated to
celebrate this occasion which will be announced here next
year.
Geoff Morris
‘Fuzzy-faithed’ UK ‘haunted by
religion’
The UK has one of the highest rates of ‘fuzzy faith’ – an
abstract belief in God and ill-defined loyalty to Christian
traditions, a new EU-funded social survey has found.
However, the Archbishop of Canterbury described the nation
as ‘uncomfortably haunted by the memory of religion’, even
though it is ‘confused’ and ‘secularised’. The Manchester
University Institute for Social Change research uncovered
only 12 per cent of Britons who ‘belong’ to a church. Prof
David Voas said the UK is ‘on the road to non-religion’,
with Christianity gradually being erased from public life
and the older generation failing to pass it on.
Speaking independently of the study, Dr Rowan Williams
offered 400 listeners at Leicester Cathedral (more below) a more
optimistic view. Flower shrines at accident scenes were one
example of ‘a society haunted by religion and not clear on
what to do about it’, he said. l quote;- The church is still
a place where people have got the emotions that won’t go
anywhere else.’
Sources: Daily Telegraph (22/3/2009); The Guardian
(22/3/2009) with thanks
Britain is 'uncomfortably haunted by memory of religion',
says Archbishop of Canterbury
Britain is not a secular country but is "uncomfortably
haunted by the memory of religion", the Archbishop of
Canterbury said. church attendance may not be as high as it
once was but although Britain may have become secularised it
is not yet secular.
Rowan Williams made the comments during a speech at
Leicester Cathedral, entitled Faith in the Public Square.
Speaking to around 400 people from across Leicestershire, he
said although British attendance at church may not compare
to 200 years ago, the church offered something that could
not be found elsewhere.
Put aside your principles and remember: all you need is love
He dismissed ideas that Britain is "secular" or "religiously
divided" were clichés and said: "I don't believe we are
living in a secular society and I don't believe we are
living in a deeply religiously divided society.
"I believe we are living in a country that is uncomfortably
haunted by the memory of religion and doesn't quite know
what to do with it and I believe we are living in a society
which is religiously plural and confused and therefore not
necessarily hostile."
"We are haunted, we need somewhere to put certain bits of
our humanity and there's nowhere else except religious
language and imagery," he said.
"The piles of flowers that you see on the site of road
accidents are the most potent symbols of a society haunted
by religion and not clear on what to do about it.
"The church is still a place where people have got the
emotions that won't go anywhere else."
The archbishop hosted a question-and-answer session after
his short speech today.
During the session, he said although Britain is now host to
a "plurality" of religions and cultures, it is not necessary
to deny the country's Christian past. "It's partly that
which has turned us historically hospitable to people of
other faiths and cultures."
When answering whether the church is governed by political
correctness in its attitude to other faiths, he criticised
"paranoid bureaucrats" for approaching issues of religion
with an "intense anxiety". "The ideal in a plural society is
everyone has the respect to say what they want.
"A country in which we are all so nervous about offending
each other that we do not say what we think is not a free
society."
He also said there was a place for finding a combination of
religious law and the law of the land, referring to past
comments about Shari law that sparked controversy at the
time. "I was not recommending the imposition of Shari Law in
the UK. "I was saying that it's a very complex, rather
taxing question how the law of the land deals with religious
law and comes within it.
"Can we envisage a society in which our fundamental
liberties are guaranteed but that they can solve certain
problems within their own law, subject to the law of the
land?
"I think there still is a case that the law of the state
ought to be finding what combination is possible without
compromising fundamental liberties."
He also commented on faith schools, and said they would not
necessarily mean a "betrayal" of the relationship
Christianity had with the state in the UK.
Circuit
Stewards’ News November 2009
We are delighted
to welcome Suzanna Bates as minister in the Bandon Hill,
Carshalton, and Wallington team and also to Epsom and also
Julie Underwood to the BH-C-W team (as previously
reported). A well attended welcome service was held at
Carshalton on 30 August 2009. Unfortunately we still do
not yet have a replacement for KK for the Chinese
Congregation. The profile of the minister is being revised
in the light of changes in the circuit in the last year. A
meeting is being sought with Stephen Pearce who now has
responsibility at Connexional level due to his contacts with
ministries in the Far East. We are delighted that (subject
to the Circuit Meeting, Synod and Conference) Rev Nick
Oborski will become the new superintendent and minister at
Epsom in 2010. Nick has 26 years experience as a banker (I
am sure treasurers will be delighted) and his most recent
Circuit experience was in the Woking Circuit at Knaphill
Methodist Church with Julie Underwood.
The circuit stewards, together with local steward’s input,
have also prepared profiles for the Banstead and Cheam. As
last year, there are about 50 fewer ministers than posts.
It was decided to seek a probationer to fill the
Banstead/Cheam post and we wait matching of the probationers
with the profile. Our circuit is particularly suited to the
stationing of probationers with its variety of churches and
Julie’s experience as probationer secretary. We hope that
this will provide the maximum stability for Banstead and
Cheam.
We are sorry that Bob Whittle will be leaving St. Mark’s and
his farewell service will be on 1 November 2009 at 10.30.
Unfortunately the development of the St. Mark’s site is
currently stuck due to legal arrangements at Diocesan and
Connexional level to enable Methodist money to be spent on
an Anglican building.
Quinquennial inspections of 5 manses occurred with immediate
repairs worth £4000 identified and further work costing
about £20,000 identified.
Philip Sandiford has been appointed as Manse secretary to
oversee inspections and subsequent necessary repairs.
Annual study leave/vacation policies for ministers in the
Circuit have been drawn up and will be presented at the next
circuit meeting. Based on CPD, these aims to ensure
appropriate in-service courses can be attended by ministers
while ensuring there are enough ministerial staff to cover
the work of the circuit.
A Church Stewards Training Day will take place at Banstead
at 10-1 on Saturday 21 November. Local stewards have been
canvassed as to the most useful content. This is open to
all stewards and also those who would like to consider
becoming a Church Steward.
Safeguarding policies have now been received from most
churches in the circuit. Records regarding CRB checks have
now been received by Steve Whatley from local churches.
Government Module A training will be rolled out across the
circuit for all who have been CRB checked.
Youth Watch: Was attended by 40 involved in Junior Church in
March, resources provided and ideas exchanged.
At the circuit meeting, a new formula for calculating
the circuit assessment was agreed: 60% is based on church
membership and 40% is based on the pastoral (i.e.
ministerial) time devoted to each church. The previous
element based on church income was removed. Furthermore a
smoothing system was introduced to ensure that no church had
an increase 25% larger than the overall assessment increase
in any year. The budget for the Circuit in 2010 is not
confirmed yet, but about ¾ goes on ministerial salaries and
expenses and Connexional funds. There was a small surplus
last year (about 0.1 %!).
The Circuit Stewards are now going to meet with the Circuit
Leadership 4 times a year (previously 2) to enable further
time to be given to proactively planning the future and
developing circuit strategy.
Finally we would like to record our gratitude to Tom Styche
for years of service as secretary to the circuit meeting and
the enormous amount of administration he undertook within
that role (amongst many other duties he has performed
locally). Few can have given so much time to God’s work in
our locality.
Adrian Heafford
Rev Nick Oborski
Nick is the Minister at Knaphill Methodist Church (http://www.knaphill-methodist-church.com
). He was in the banking business before entering the
ministry. Nick is married to Sandra, and they have a son,
Thomas. Sandra is a Senior manager and special needs
teacher.
 
Circuit Stewards’ News
In an effort to provide more information on what we do, the circuit
stewards are planning to provide regular updates of interest
to churches in the circuit and this is the first one.
Firstly we are very glad to report that Julie Underwood has accepted
the post of Ministerial team leader for the Bandon Hill,
Carshalton and Wallington churches. Julie comes from
Byfleet, has previously studied Chemistry and Psychology and
joined the Ministry in 1997. She is keen to work with young
people and those on the edge of the church. We are very
glad she and her husband Malcolm, who is keen on DIY, will
join the circuit. Unfortunately we do not yet have
replacements for Rev Yap Kok Kong or the second minister for
the above Churches and Epsom.
The circuit requires about 12 people to act as reviewers for the 6
ministers of the circuit and also people to act as
facilitators in neighbouring circuits. Anyone wishing to do
this work or who knows someone who we could approach should
contact the circuit administrator (suttoncircuit.admin@googlemail.com
)
Risk assessment:
A circuit Risk Management Group is to be set up and outline
proposals for a constitution and remit have been outlined so
they can be submitted to the Circuit Meeting. The circuit
has taken out insurance of £250,000 to cover the liabilities
of the trustees of the circuit. An evening with Liz Ovey
was planned to discuss Trustees liabilities but has been
postponed until March 24 at Banstead Methodist Church.
Church Stewards
Training.
It was felt that Church Stewards are often asked to take up this
important job without any form of training advice or job
description. In fact some have been asked to write their
own job description. The Circuit Stewards are therefore
canvassing the local church leadership teams for subjects on
which they feel they would like training with a view to
having a meeting for Church stewards at which the issues
raised can be addressed.
The Circuit is
to recruit a Circuit Safeguarding officer.
This person will take the mandatory training modules A-D (still in
development) and keep records of people working with
children and deal with events as they arise. They will also
train CRB checked youth workers in the government module A
once it has been finalised. The circuit safeguarding policy
drawn up is to be forwarded to Jan Atkins (District
Safeguarding Officer).
Youth Watch:
The circuit is to have a Day (7th March at St. John’s
Belmont) for all those involved in youth work in the
circuit. Themes will include Messy Church, Different
approaches to Junior Church, reaching out to children using
the church, Teens and Safeguarding. Anyone who wishes to
come to this should contact Steve Whatley at Epsom Methodist
Church or
suttoncircuit.admin@googlemail.com as soon as possible
so that we can have an idea of the numbers interested.
Local churches will be
organising farewells for Geoff Boxer, Simon Leigh and Rev
Yap Kok Kong and the Circuit stewards will be working to
ensure that as many as possible can be involved.
Circuit Treasurers have met to discuss the 2009/2010 circuit
assessment. The income for this period will be
approximately £316567, an increase of approximately £15000
on the budget for 2008/9. This is caused largely by
increases to ministerial stipends and pensions over which
the circuit has no control. The circuit has granted funds
of £35,000 to Carshalton for building works and £14,400 to
Banstead towards a family and communities worker.
The circuit stewards are also responsible for manses and are
planning for redecoration work at Waverly Way and Hall Road
manses ahead of the appointment of the new ministers.
Finally the circuit stewards
have divided their responsibilities for local churches as
follows:
Adrian Heafford
– Carshalton, Epsom, St. John’s
Alan Jameson –
Wallington, St. George’s, Sutton Trinity
Val Proctor –
Bandon Hill, Banstead, Cheam and St. Mark’s
If anyone has any concerns they wish to raise with the circuit
stewards, they now have someone to contact directly.
Hello Everyone!
I've undertaken a huge fundraising project to raise £2,000
for ChildReach International. This charity is an innovative
children's charity that works with communities in some of
the world's poorest regions, helping them to give their
children a brighter future. They support clean water, child
health and nutrition, alternative education and child
protection projects that are sustainable and have the widest
possible impact.
In September I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in
Tanzania. This is a six day excursion and should be a lot of
fun but I need your help to do it, in donating to this
charity. I am at University in Aberdeen so a lot of my
fundraising projects are based here. I am organising
parties, selling hand made crafts, bag packing in super
markets and providing massage therapy to friends. I have a
donation web page, through which you can learn more about
what I am doing and the progress being made.
It is
www.justgiving.com/eleanoralexander
Any help would be really appreciated, even it's organising
your own bake sale in your local school, church or
workplace.
Many thanks, Eleanor Alexander
(in case you are unaware
Eleanor is the daughter of
Una Alexander)
Appreciation
Sarah Meech must have been the longest serving member
of the EMC Leadership Team – ever! Sarah joined the team as a youth
representative and concluded as Senior Steward, leading the teams as well as
being the coordinator of the building development group over a number of
years. This is the right time for us to express our warmest thanks to
Sarah, as she has now stepped down from this role, and to thank God for her
sacrificial service to the church. Sarah, please accept our deep
appreciation and our love.
 Adrian Heafford has agreed to become a Circuit Steward to
help lead the Circuit in the next few years. With that in mind Adrian will
be resigning from the leadership team, as it’s too much for anyone to carry
both jobs. We would therefore like to say thank you for his quiet and loyal
service in the past few years.
 Harvey Morris
has kindly agreed to head up the Leadership
Team as Senior Steward and we’re grateful that he is willing to take this
on, for us all.
EMC
Youth Pastor
Introducing Christopher Wheeler
Chris regards this appointment
as “An exciting opportunity and a fresh challenge in
expressing the passion God has given me for young people”
Two years ago he came from his
home in Middlesbrough, in the North East, to take up a
training role as a Youth Worker in a Kingston church, whilst
studying for a degree to equip him for youth ministry. The
folk at the church in Kingston are very sorry indeed to be
losing him.
Chris’ youth work experience
includes having been part of the Boy’s Brigade since he was
5 years old through to his present role as an Officer. He
has also had contact with Guides, Scouts and Girl’s
Brigade. So uniformed organisations have been part of his
life. He has worked with young children, particularly 7-11
year olds, and in his present role concentrates on 11 to 16
year olds. As part of his current job he also works with
young adults, 16 to 19, at the local 6th Form
College. For quite a while he was working on Council
estates, managing and organising band nights for young
people who were not connected with the church. He
encouraged young Christians from local churches to reach out
to their friends and local neighbourhoods, and was working
with a Christian youth work charity, ‘Oxygen’, around the
Royal Borough of Kingston. This work included supporting
teenagers who have been expelled from school.
Chris is a talented young man
who plays the guitar, bass, trumpet, drums and keyboard, as
well as being classically trained as a singer. He has been
part of the ‘MAYC Orchestra and Singers’ and the ‘National
Youth Choir of Great Britain’. He has played leading roles
in amateur musical productions and was a member of the
‘Middlesbrough Jazz and Blues Orchestra’ – but that is not
the only reason why he got the job!
Chris has been commissioned as a
Methodist Worship Leader at Southlands College Chapel in
Roehampton, where he regularly leads services of worship.
He is the Vice Chairman of the chapel, arranging socials and
planning chapel events, initiating new ideas for those who
come to the chapel, and seeking to relate to students in the
wider community of the university. In all these things he
is working with other young adults who are university
students.
Chris says, “I grew up in a URC
Church in Middlesbrough and found my faith in a Methodist
Youth Group at the age of 16. My faith has grown greatly
through Methodism. What is most important for me is that
God has entered my heart and given me a passion to do his
will in working with young people, so that they have the
opportunity to discover Him.”
A number of those involved in
the church’s youth work at EMC, including a couple of young
people, met Chris on his interview day – informally over
coffee, in a group exercise and in the formal interview.
Everyone who met him was absolutely sure that he is the
right person for this job. We therefore believed it to be
right that we should wait until he has completed his degree
in Practical Theology and worked through until the end of
his present contract in Kingston, which means that we are
looking forward to him joining us at the end of August 2009.
YOUTH
MINISTRY APPEAL
Thank you for the
generous responses to this appeal. Now we will step forward in
faith to appoint a Youth Pastor. We have received promises which
take us within £15,000 of the amount needed for the first three
years. So we will go ahead trusting the remainder will come
from continuing small donations which will soon mount up to
complete this task.
We are deeply
grateful for your generosity and thankful to God for every gift.
ST GEORGE’S DAY AWARDS
With pride, and with gratitude for his service, we offer our
congratulations to
Neil Dallen,
who has been awarded —
a bar to the silver acorn
For his especially distinguished service to the Scouts.
This is the second highest award in Scouting and indicates the
honour and esteem in which Neil is held within the movement.
As a Church we share in honouring him and thanking God for his
incredible service to young people and his place in the life of
our church.

The Wesley Quilters were invited
to participate in creating a lectern fall and a pulpitfall for
the new church décor. This task fell to Sue Packham, who has
created two beautiful pieces of work. On behalf of us all I
would like to our appreciation of her needle work skills, and
say thank you Sue, well done.

Hello all of EMC
Happy Easter 2010.
We are sending this a little early taking advantage of the wifi
connection at this site.
Hope you have got through the winter weather without too many
problems and are keeping well.
After returning to Crete from our Christmas in England with our
family we moved down to the South coast of the Island, staying at Agia
Galini which is a picturesque little town with a nice beach and just
what you would imagine as a Cretan fishing village although we know it
will be completely changed in the Summer when the tourists arrive and
all the bars and tavernas are open. We had some nice walks in the hills
around. We were disappointed that we could only find the two sites which
were open on the whole of the island and so we had to do a lot of
driving to see the eastern parts. We found our way to Kali Limenes which
is where St Paul sheltered on his final trip to Rome. It is a lovely
spot which has been blighted by turning the little island off shore
(Isla Pavlos) into an oil storage depot. Another outing was to the
Palace of Phaestos, another Minoan site but not as well preserved as
Knossos.

Palace of Phaestos
We visited Agios Nikolaos which is a very popular tourist
destination with a large marina and a busy little town even out of
season. There is a natural lake right in the centre, joined to the
harbour by a short canal which was dug during the Turkish occupation.
Our drive there took us across the Lasithi Plateau which is a very
fertile area ringed by high mountains and supposedly the birthplace of
Zeus. A very memorable visit was to Preveli where the monastery is
renowned for its role in helping allied soldiers to escape during World
War Two. There is a memorial on the cliff top showing the Abbot holding
a rifle alongside an allied soldier.
Crete has a long and varied
history of at least four thousand years. Because of its strategic
position between east and west it has been controlled at various times
by Minoans, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks.
Finally it was occupied by the Germans in WW11. Once again we have
learnt a lot of the history and geography of the area.

Our idea of visiting some of the Greek Islands didn’t materialise
because many of the ferries don’t operate in the winter time and those
that do are quite expensive. So we left the Crete sooner than
anticipated and returned to the mainland on 8th February
Our next stop was at Drepano, a nice little village to the south of
Nafplio on the Argolid peninsula. This pleasant site was our base for
the next ten days. Our first outing was to the ruined city of Epidaurus
which is interesting because of the large scope of the site and the huge
amphitheatre with seats for 14,000 but not much else is preserved intact
although the museum shows some interesting reproductions. In it’s
heyday it was a sanctuary dedicated to Asklepios, the god of healing.
We also went to Corinth and of course the famous canal where the
remains of the Diolkos can still be seen. This was a paved track way on
which ships were transported over the isthmus from ancient times before
the canal. We have been interested to learn that the Acropolis in
Athens is not unique but many towns have an ‘Acro’ which is a fortified
hill and Acrocorinth is an impressive example. We drove up to the top
to view the fortifications. On the way up we became entangled with a
kite string and when we got to the top discovered many people flying
kites. We then remembered that this was a tradition on ’Clean Monday’,
the day after Carnival and the beginning of Lent.
Another visit was to the ruins of Agamemnon’s Citadel at Mycenae.
We were once again amazed by the standard of the building and had to
remind ourselves that people in Britain were living in mud huts at this
time. The huge stones and skills used in the construction are
reminiscent of the Pyramids.
We went into Nafplio a few times as it was just a ten minute drive
from the site and thought it a very pleasant town with a lovely
waterfront and harbour. After the War of Independence it became the
capital of the new Greece from 1829 to 1834 and has some imposing
architecture. We also went up to the Acronafplio which has a very big
Venetian fortress commanding the bay.
Leaving Drepano we headed for Sparti. Although nothing much remains
of ancient Sparta because it was never fortified the nearby city of
Mystras is well worth a visit. The city was started in the 13th century
and is built up the side of a steep hill with its strong castle at the
top. We are assured that there is a magnificent Byzantine Palace but
this is presently undergoing restoration. However there are some
beautifully preserved and restored churches and it is interesting to see
the old city streets and some remains of the houses. The city was
deserted after a series of fires in the eighteenth century.
From Mystras we drove over the Lagkadas Pass and through Kalamata.
This is the only East- West route through the Taiyetos (pronounced tiger
toes) Mountains and it is an interesting drive. Although not too steep
there are numerous hairpin bends but the views as you get higher up are
tremendous. The direct distance to Finikunda was 37 miles but we drove
76. So here we are at Finikunda (or Foinikountas if you use the Greek
spelling). We have made contact with a walking group composed mainly of
British and Germans who have property here and have been out with them
twice.
Our neighbours on the site at both sides are German but speak
good English and are very nice. There is a Finnish couple and Gunniver
is an artist and had a show of her work to which we were all invited.
There are not really any historic or tourist sites in this area we are
just here for the sun and relaxation and enjoying the change.
We intend our next move to be northwards to Olympia and will
probably be back in Italy at Easter as we start our journey back home.
God bless you
Pat and
Brian 
Hello EMC December 21 st 2009
And a very happy Christmas to you.
Although we are in
Knaresborough at the moment we are in fact in the middle of a trip to
Crete.
After our delightful trip to
Scandinavia in the Summer of 2008 we had planned an excursion to Spain
from January until May 2009 but this was not to be. At the beginning of
December 2008 Brian had a couple of fainting episodes which our doctor
thought should be investigated so tests were set in motion which were
scheduled for February and March. Fortunately, after various scans and
examinations he was declared perfectly fit and so we were able to start
planning again. We had some short holidays in England and spent time
with our grandchildren during the Summer which we thoroughly enjoyed and
we hope they did too.
In September we set off with
our caravan on our current adventure which is a visit to Greece and the
Islands. We drove through France stopping first at Reims, where we saw
the wonderful Cathedral and then lovely old town of Chalons sur Marne.
Next stop was Auxonne from where we went to Epernay, the centre of the
Champagne industry and to Dijon. Then on to Aix les Bains, a lovely Spa
town in a superb location on Lac Bourget.
From there we went through
the Mont Blanc tunnel and into Italy passing through Aosta to Lake
Maggiore. We had a lovely pitch for our caravan overlooking the lake
and enjoyed some scenic walks from there. We also paid a visit to the
beautiful gardens of Villa Taranto in Verbania and the pretty towns
around the lake. We then went across to another of the Italian lakes,
Lake Garda. Again there are some pretty towns amidst the grandeur of
the mountain scenery but we thought that Garda itself has become very
touristy. There is an efficient ferry serving the lakeside towns which
can save many miles of motoring.
From Lake Garda we went
across to the Adriatic coast and followed our route of three years ago
down to Monopoli. From there we made arrangements for our crossing to
Greece from Bari. On the ferry, which was a nice modern ship we had our
first experience of ‘camping on board’. This system means you can use
all the facilities of the ship but provides electric hook-ups so you can
also use you own facilities and as it was an overnight sailing we could
sleep in our own bed. We enjoyed a very smooth crossing and arrived in
Greece at five am.
We had a one night stop over
at Rio which is where the suspension bridge goes over the Gulf of
Corinth Then we went on to Athens. The quiet roads of the Greek
countryside had not prepared us for the chaos which is driving in
Athens. Over a third of the Greek population live here and they all
seem to want to be in the same place at the same time. However our
camping site was on the outskirts of the city and we used the bus and
metro which are both efficient and cheap.
Of course our main focus in
Athens was to visit the Acropolis and other antiquities and we enjoyed
this during our week there as well as spending some time just wandering
round the city gardens. We caught a fast ferry to Crete from Piraeus
and arrived in Heraklion at nine pm on 30th October. After some
difficulty with not being able to find our first site we moved on to
Camping Elizabeth near Rethymnon on the north coast of the island.
We have spent a couple of
months there now so when we go back in January we intend to move to the
south shore of the island to explore some other areas.
We wish you all health and
happiness in 2010.
Pat and Brian Gamble
Hello
EMC
Another year (2008) has almost gone. We hope
it has been a good year for you. We have had an unusual and exciting
time this year. We didn’t go away for the winter last year because we
had arranged our tour to New Zealand and Australia, this was an
unforgettable experience.
After
spending three months at home we set out on our second adventure, this
time with our caravan.
The
first leg was up to Stonehaven in Scotland to the wedding of Andrew and
Rachel. We had a lovely week there and spent time with old friends who
we hadn’t seen for years.
Then we
drove down to Newcastle where we caught the ferry to Bergen in Norway.
We had not been looking forward to the North Sea crossing but it was
amazingly calm and even Pat enjoyed the voyage which took us to
Stavanger and then up the inner passage to Bergen. A beautiful cruise
up the fiords. Disembarking at eleven p.m. on 1st June we
drove in daylight to our camp site just outside the town, where we
stayed for a week. We never really got used to the continuous daylight.
Bergen
was our first experience of Norway and was a delight. A lovely town and
very pleasant and helpful people all of whom seem to speak impeccable
English.
We then
set out on our trip to North Cape. Driving was so easy because there is
virtually only one road to follow and there is very little traffic.
Next
stop was Aurland from where we visited the scenic Flam railway. We rode
up and walked the 20 kilometers' back. From Aurland the road then took
us through a 26 kilometers tunnel on our way to Alesund where we spent
three nights before going on to Trondheim. We stayed here four nights
so we could explore the city. Once again we were delighted with the
place and its people. The royal palace, built of wood, as is most of
the buildings, and right on the street was a very interesting contrast
with the magnificent stone cathedral.
The
scenery in Norway is so spectacular it is impossible to put into words.
There is a new and better view round each corner and driving this road
gives the best of all experiences because at fairly regular intervals
the road comes to a fiord and it is necessary to go across on a ferry so
you get the view from the water as well as the land.
Our next
days drive took us across the Arctic Circle and we stayed at Trofors and
Ulsvag before arriving in Tromso. It turned out to be the weekend of
the Midnight Sun Marathon which is an annual international event and the
city was very busy but we enjoyed our time there. We managed a
strenuous walk to the heights overlooking the city and attended a
midnight concert in the Arctic Cathedral.
We
continued northwards staying at Alta and then arriving at North Cape on
24th June, Midsummer Day. Some 1700 miles from Bergen. We
stayed on the most northerly camp site in Europe and at times were
surrounded by reindeer as they grazed. We had not planned to arrive at
the solstice but it was another great experience because a crowd of
people from many nations gathered at midnight to celebrate.
From
North Cape our route was due south through a small area of Finland and
into Sweden. We followed the Inlandsvegen which travels through the
centre of the country being virtually the only road south. The scenery
changes dramatically here as all you see for mile after mile is forest.
There was very little traffic but we did have to stop a few times to
allow reindeer herds to cross. Because we were there in the short summer
much of the road was under repair and one section was simply hardcore
for 26 kilometers'. Not very good for towing a caravan.
One of
our stopovers was at Ostersund where we visited the open air museum
which shows historical houses from around 1600 with actors playing
appropriate roles. Very enjoyable.
We made
a detour west from the Inlandsvegen to Loftsdalen so we could enjoy some
walks and then, via the old mining town of Fallun, to the university
town of Upsalla. Sadly the town centre has been ‘modernised’ out of
existence but we enjoyed the Botanical Gardens and the house and garden
of Linnaeus, the father of botany. We also had a day out on the train
to Stockholm where the preserved ancient galleon the ‘Vasa’ is a must
see attraction.
We then
made our way into Denmark crossing the magnificent Oresund Bridge to
Copenhagen. We visited the Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid, the
Royal Palace and Helsingor (Elsinore) and decided the song is right,
Copenhagen is wonderful.
Our next
stop was at Odense, the home of Hans Christian Andersen. Near to his
house, now a museum, there is a lovely outdoor theatre which gives
delightful free shows of the fairy tales.
We spent
a few days in the lovely area of north Jutland before going into Germany
staying on a very pretty, family run site at Walmsburg near the
picturesque town of Luneberg.
After a
few days near the spa town of Bad Pyrmont and Hamelin, of Pied Piper
fame, we moved on to Landsmeer in Holland. From here we had the
opportunity to visit Amsterdam, Delft, Marken and Alkmaar (famous for
its cheese market).
Then
into Belgium where we stayed in a country park near the lovely town of
Gent.
It was
now time to return home and after a wonderful tour in which we covered
5,000 miles with the caravan in just over three months we caught the
ferry from Dunkerque on 10th September.
Since
then we have spent the time catching up with our family and generally
settling down but we are now preparing for a trip to find some winter
sun after Christmas.
We hope
you have a lovely Christmas and a happy and healthy 2009.
God
bless you
Pat and
Brian Gamble - December 2008
Robert Talbot you may remember was on the very early publicity
committee setup to ensure the publicity was established for the then new
rebuilding project, unfortunately Robert who worked for
ExxonMobil was
relocated to Russia and as you see below then to Qartar, for those with
very long memories below will be of interest. Also his wife
Evelyne was much involved in the similar rebuilding at St Josephs Catholic
Church.
Dear Cliff,
It is good to hear from you. Unfortunately our visit to Epsom was a very
short one (just a few hours) but we were fortunate enough to find the
church open and someone kind (Richard Smith) enough to show us around.
The expansion and improvements have been very well done. I was impressed
by the standard of finish and fixtures and the care taken with the
windows, stonework and exterior landscaping (something that often
suffers when the budget is under pressure). From time to time I still
look at the website and am pleased to see that you are still in charge
of that.
Yes, we started up the Sakhalin-1 project in September 2006 and I stayed
with the project for another year tidying up loose ends. I’m pleased to
say that production uptime during the first two years of operation has
exceed our expectations. In October I was asked to come to Qatar for 9
months to try to help rescue another project in difficulties. This has
proved quite a handful for quite different reasons than Sakhalin and
only now are we getting close to starting it up, hopefully in about a
month’s time. After that I hope to be able to return ‘home’ to Houston.
I am now back in Qatar but will get in touch again before I make another
visit to Epsom. I have attached a copy of a letter we sent to some
friends at Christmas which has some photographs and news of my family.
Best wishes, Robert
Talbot January 2009
copy of letter with
pictures, download Word document (4,043 Kbytes).........here
copy of letter text
only, download Word document (43 Kbytes).....................here
Boys’ Brigade News
Opened September by H.M. The Queen, The National
Memorial Arboretum, Croxall Road, Alrewas in Staffordshire now boasts
another feature, “The Boys’ Brigade Memorial Garden.” Situated just
outside the chapel, the garden entrance is between two pillars of 5,000
year old bog oak, presented jointly by the BB in Northern Ireland and
the Irish Republic into which has been carved the words “Religion and
Discipline.” (Words used by The Late King George V1 in a speech to
describe the BB- “the BB was built on twin pillars of religion and
discipline”).
Within the garden is a huge granite boulder from
Scotland which has a replica anchor affixed and is engraved with the
words of the chorus of the famous (BB adopted) hymn “Will your anchor
hold?” Opened with due pomp and circumstance on 21st June,
the garden, and of course the arboretum, is well worth a visit the next
time that you are in Staffordshire.
A reminder that the Open Day at Chatham Dockyard on
May 31st has been captured on a DVD, available from RB
Video, 4 Cross Avenue, Wickford, Essex SS12 ONA.
01268.473358. Cheques £12.50 made payable to Mrs RB
Shorter please.
Former BB members and supporters are invited to join
the London Stedfast (yes – that is the correct spelling) Assn – details
from Roger Wallis 26 Hambro Avenue Hayes Bromley Kent BR2 7LS.
Colin Thomas
Old Boys
Association – The Boys’ Brigade
I
was delighted to discover recently, quite by chance, that there are a
number of Old Boys of the Boy's Brigade within the membership of Epsom Methodist Church, Norman Dallen, Cliff Douthwaite, Mark Angel, Peter Townsend,
Colin Thomas, Tony Blakeburn, Martin Gunton and of course David Winwood [where he learnt to drum] to
name a few.
Plus Eve Douthwaite (nee Murrant) who was Officer in Charge of
the BB Lifeboy's (now called the Junior section) of the 1st Thames Valley BB Company,
which was later designated as the 1st Kingston and Merton Company (New
Malden Baptist) when the London Boroughs were reorganised, it is interesting that later (not in the same time
period!) Martin Gunton was the Captain of the 14th Kingston and Merton
Company whilst his wife Suzanne was
Officer in
charge of the Junior section of 14 th Kingston and Merton, Suzanne
has long association with the BB with the 5th
London Company,
formerly of Leysian Mission, now at Wesley's Chapel - the oldest
continuously running company in England
and still plays in the Stedfast Brass Band mentioned
below.
There is in
fact a world wide Association “The Stedfast Association” which provides
numerous BB associated activities for the more mature “boy” at heart.
These include a Brass Band and a Bugle Band the organisers of which are
currently seeking new members. Hence if you blew a bugle or beat a drum
or played any brass instrument, ten, twenty, thirty, forty (etc.) years
ago, in the BB, you could take it up again. Your neighbours will be
delighted!. There is also a bowls club for the energetic, as well as
numerous events throughout the year.
The Stedfast (
London) Magazine, published periodically keeps members informed of
current events as well as nostalgic glimpses of the past – a chance to
relive your childhood memories. If you want to join there is £10.00 per
annum membership fee, (or for the wealthy, life membership for £100) – a
snip according to Roger Wallis the Membership Secretary who you can
contact in the first instance by phone at 0208 462 1235, or email at
roger.wallis2@ntworld.com
For this you
will receive the Association magazine periodically from which you will
glean that the BB is still very much alive and kicking – throughout
the world, and you can wallow in nostalgia as you examine its’
pages. In the current magazine, there is information on an all day event
at Chatham Historic Dockyard in May 2008 to celebrate a century and a
quarter of BB history, as well as 25 years of the Stedfast Association.
The BB in Kuala Lumpur, The Girls Brigade, Beating the Retreat by the
Bugle Band at Chelsea Hospital, Spotlight on the 10th Enfield
Company and The BB Memorial Garden to mention but a few are also
featured.
Report by Colin Thomas (Former Lieutenant 105th
London Company The Boys’ Brigade).
The Boy's Brigade 125 Anniversary "Celebration
Day" Event at The Historic Dockyard Chatham on Saturday 31st
May 2008.
A BIG thank
you, to all those who visited or took part in the special event
celebrating 125 years of the BB at the Chatham Dockyard. It was a
remarkable and memorable day in the history of The Boys' Brigade and our
London Stedfast Association.
The London
Stedfast Association were proud to sponsor and organise the event as
part of their 25th anniversary year. A wonderful sunny day welcomed
around 3500 visitors to the site. The car parks were overflowing with
some 1000 vehicles that day- including 22 coaches.
We are proud to
report that about 700 members from the BB, supported by representatives
of the GB ,GA , and Stedfast Associations from around the UK and the
Republic of Ireland, were present at this great historical dockyard.
Many playing in one of the eleven bands present. Or taking part in the
display items covering, marching , team games , or gymnastics in one of
the 3 display arenas.
If you missed
this unique occasion.. we are pleased to announce that you can purchase
the official 2 hour DVD covering the entire BB125 Celebration Day at
Chatham.
Available
from: R B VIDEO, 4 CROSS AVENUE, WICKFORD, ESSEX SS12 ONA
Please contact
Roisin Shorter if you wish to purchase a DVD £12.50 including P&P
Tel: 01268
473358 - Cheques made payable to: Mrs R B Shorter
If you need
more information before considering membership you can browse at
www.londonstedfastassociation.org
Rob Frost - A life well lived
With
thanks
from Share Jesus International
The
Frost family and Share Jesus International are sad to announce the death
of a great author, presenter, visionary, leader, evangelist, and
preacher.
Rob Frost, founder of Share
Jesus International, passed away peacefully in hospital on Sunday 11
November 2007 at 11.40pm with his family around him.
He was diagnosed with skin
cancer in June and underwent treatment. In the past few days, Rob became
very tired and was taken into hospital on Wednesday 7th November 2007.
He was in no pain but gradually drifted into eternity with liver failure
as a result of secondary melanoma.
Rob set up the mission agency in
1986 with the sole purpose of sharing Jesus in many different contexts
and countries.
Rob Frost was in great demand as
a preacher, the International Director of the International Leadership
Institute based in Atlanta and the author of over 25 books.
He presented Premier Radio's
flagship current affairs programme called Frost on Sunday and his weekly
TV show on the God Channel is broadcast under the title the Frost
Debate.
He lectured in mission and
evangelism at London School of Theology and was a regular teacher at
theological institutions throughout the UK.
As the Director and then
President Emeritus of Share Jesus International, an ecumenical mission
agency which he founded 25 years ago, he initiated scores of projects
including Easter People, a conference which celebrated its 20th
anniversary last year; led missions in hundreds of cities, towns and
villages in the UK and across the globe and campaigned on global and
national issues. He served as President of Release International, an
agency which cares for persecuted Christians throughout the world. Rob
also produced and toured with many musicals including Hopes and Dreams
which had the number one hit of the Lord's Prayer.
One of the last projects Rob has
been working on is the Pentecost Festival which will take place May
9-11, 2008. Andy Frost and the office team will continue to make this
dream become a reality and Rob's vision will continue to have an impact
across this nation.
Rob will be fondly remembered
not just for what he did, but his sense of humour, his stories, his love
for people, depth of compassion and his zest for life.
He leaves behind his wife
Jacqui, his two sons Andy & Chris and his father Ronald. They will miss
him greatly but are thankful for his life and pleased that he is now
with his heavenly father.
His family request no flowers
but if you wish to make a gift, this should be for Pentecost Festival.
There will be a funeral service
in Raynes Park for close friends and family in the next 10 days. We are
also holding a celebration service in January and all will be welcome to
this.
Details will follow shortly see
http://www.sharejesusinternational.com
You can donate to Pentecost Festival by
clicking here.
Evangelicals mourn passing of Rob
Frost
By Mark Woods
ROB
FROST, director of Share Jesus International (SJI) and a leading
evangelical figure for many years, died on Sunday (111 November 2007)
aged 57. He had been ill for some time, having been diagnosed with skin
cancer in June 2007, but had remained active until his last few days.
A Methodist minister, he was in great demand as a
preacher and over the years initiated scores of projects including the
Easter People conference, which ran for 20 years. He served as President
of Release International, which campaigns for persecuted Christians
around the world, and lectured in mission and evangelism at the London
School of Theology.
His wife Jacquie thanked supporters for their "friendship
and prayers", and said, "Rob has now received the ultimate healing. We
know that our heavenly father loves us all and that he is holding us."
Tributes to his life and ministry have come from many
friends and colleagues. A statement from SJI said, "Rob will be fondly
remembered not just for what he did, but his sense of humour, his
stories, his love for people, depth of compassion and his zest for
life."
The Rev. Joel Edwards, general director of the
Evangelical Alliance, described him as "one of the bright light
champions for evangelical witness, evangelistic fervour and creativity;
an outstanding pioneer"
The Rev. Dr David Coffey, President of the Baptist World
Alliance, said "Rob ranks as one of the most creative evangelists and
able apologists of his generation. He had a heart for the renewal of
Methodism but his reach of friendship extended to all parts of God's
family."
His last project was the Pentecost Festival which will
take place May 9-11, 2008.
With thanks to the Baptist Times
Tandem
adventure paragliding - and experience for yourself the freedom and
exhilaration of paragliding.
If you are seeking a new
adventure or an experience like none other, see
Barbara Phillips
of Epsom Methodist Church. Barbara
has completed a sponsored paraglide on Friday 27 th July 2007 for the
Royal Marsden Hospital, at Bohinj though you can fly from any part of
Gorenjska region.
Barbara say " she used the
Bible reference to Isaiah Chapter 40 verse 31 to give her strength"
But they that wait
upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount
with wings like eagles ; they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
With no experience, you can
safely fly tandem over the stunning views of Julian Alps, it's highest
mountains and peaks, over the green meadows and narrow valleys with our
fully Certified experienced Instructors, you can rest assured you are in
the best of hands. Our primary focus has always been on the safety and
comfort of our customers especially
Barbara,
as she is needed to help SWAP 2007!
More on this
website........................here.
Why not stay here at
Stonewood in Slovenia?
Stonewood is a well
equipped, luxury 2-bedroom apartment, comprising the entire ground
floor of Stonewood house, which overlooks the peaceful village of
Koprivnik and enjoys an idyllic situation within the Triglav
National Park, allowing guests to enjoy all the excitement and
action of the ski slopes, restaurants and lakes of Bohinj valley
until they are ready to retreat to the peaceful mountain village for
a good nights rest. Triglav national Park is home, of course, to
Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia, and the park embraces
some of the most stunning natural scenery to be found in the
Southern Alps.

Bohinj

Stunning views of Julian
Alps and Barbara jubilant on the ground after her flight!
About
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and PARENT PROJECT UK - Charity
No: 1101971
Duchenne
Muscular Dystrophy is a severe muscle-wasting disease which affects
mostly young boys. Most children are born apparently well, but the
disease progresses rapidly and they usually have to be in a wheelchair
by around the age of 10. In the later stages the heart and breathing
muscles are affected and many boys die in their early 20s.
The genetic disorder which
causes DMD was identified in the 1980s, but progress with research has
been slow because the genetic code is complicated and funding has been
negligible.
PPUK is a charity which was
set up and run by parents whose sons have DMD. It shares research
information with other countries and has campaigned vigorously for
funding from our Government.
The Department of Health
and the Medical Research Council is now committed to funding the type of
gene therapy research that could lead to a treatment or cure for DMD as
well as for other genetic disorders.
In spite of this, one
particularly promising gene therapy research project for DMD currently
receives just 1% of the Government's new budget for health research. A
clinical safety trial has started, but without
further funding, some of this project may have to be cut.
The top specialists in DMD
tell us that, for the first time, the dream of a treatment is a
realistic possibility, given the funding. In addition to appealing for
Government finance for research, families and friends all over the UK
are working hard to raise money in many different ways.
James (and Linda) Pender
Advisor with The Church of Bangladesh Social Development Programme
Meherpur 7100 Bangladesh.
16 December 2007
Dear friends,
Just one week before my wedding,
I’ve been doing a fair bit of reflecting. It is amazing how time flies.
I have now been back in Bangladesh one year since my time speaking on
the work of the CBSDP in the UK, which means an accumulated 3 years in
total spent in Meherpur! What I have been doing here I would never have
dreamed of if you had asked me as a child: ‘what will you do when you
grow up’, let along marrying a beautiful Bangladeshi bride! (Linda
shown)
Three
years is actually the longest that I have spent in any job. I am
beginning to see the benefits of staying put and glad that I turned down
the chance of short-term consultancy work.
For after a while, instead of
working with colleagues you are instead working with friends, begin to
really understand the situation/organisation, can get by in the local
language and are, in other words, in an optimum position to contribute.
Nowhere is this truer than in the area of arsenic mitigation.
The CBSDP’s work in arsenic
mitigation was already well established when I arrived with thousands of
tube wells tested, arsenic-safe shallow modified dug wells installed and
vitamins given to victims of arsenic poisoning. I had barely heard of
the arsenic crisis at all, a fact that I found staggering given that in
Bangladesh alone at least 29 million people are currently at risk from
arsenic dissolved in the groundwater which is harvested by millions of
shallow pump tube wells. I visited badly affected villages and was
gutted to hear firsthand from wives who had lost husbands, fathers who
had lost children and many, many who had lost dear friends.
Right away I knew that it had
to be my main priority during my time in Meherpur, and time wise that
has been so.
Installing a Chuli water
purifier into a wood cooking stove Firstly, I discovered that my
colleagues were poorly resourced with little up-to-date information on
the arsenic problem and so much of my first year was made establishing
contacts and collecting information from hundreds of sources, eventually
resulting in an initial report summarising the current situation of
arsenic in Bangladesh and a second report summarising what was known
about the situation within the Meherpur District.
With my colleagues Provonjan,
Charles and David, I also discussed how we could improve our impact, so
we have tried innovative ‘Chuli’ water filters that pasteurise dug well
water (through a metal coil imbedded in a clay cooking stove); mapping
the arsenic at a village level to better site new arsenic safe wells;
using better arsenic test kits; a stronger focus on using nutrition as a
route to recovery from poisoning (through kitchen gardens, Soya bean
cultivation and eating of lentils) and the raising of awareness of the
risk to health through rice cultivated with arsenic contaminated water.
Understandably arsenic
contamination of water is a complicated problem and it has taken time to
develop our response. So it was a great delight to me, a real highlight
of my work, when this year we installed six deep-tube wells (320ft),
that go beneath the arsenic containing groundwater layer, in five
villages where we had recently tested wells and mapped the pattern of
arsenic distribution.
At
a time when there is reducing interest from big donors and governments
it was fantastic to have money to do all this as a result of donations
and collections from churches and other groups in the UK following my
talks there last year. Thanks to the many of you reading this who made
it all possible! It was an interesting process as a rig was set up and
two men turned a giant corkscrew like apparatus for three days, while at
the same time another fellow pumped water down to loosen the soil. As
they manually drilled in shifts, they sung work songs to keep up their
energy and spirits. When they pulled out the drilling pipe sections they
all swung on the rope shouting. A tremendous effort! But best of all is
that communities in these five badly affected villages of Theraghoria,
Bhollobhpur, Rotonpur, Anondobas and Kamdevpur can drink bacteria
logically and arsenic safe water from these wells (each providing for
50-100 families).
No longer will they become sick
from consuming life’s most precious commodity – water! However, while
this year marks my three years of work in Bangladesh, this year is very
special for the church here as it marks its 25 years of work to serve
the poor: the Silver Jubilee of the Church of Bangladesh Social
Development Programme. As a result we have had a host of celebrations in
all the places we are working, culminating in a combined celebration
with our donors, partners and church links in Dhaka last week, with a
great theme ‘Serving humanity is worshipping God’. I helped CBSDP-Meherpur
manager Provonjan with his talk and thought that you might be interested
in what we wrote: ‘Jubilee was celebrated in Old Testament times every
seven and 50 years. It was a time when slaves were released, sold land
was returned to its original owners, debts were cancelled and it was a
time when the land was left fallow.
It was also a time of
celebration. In Luke 4 verses 17-19 Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the
poor; He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberation
to the captives and to recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those
who are oppressed. To proclaim the year of the Lords favour. In other
words, Jesus was declaring a period of jubilee.
In our development work we are
very much trying to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and proclaim jubilee in
the areas in which we work in Bangladesh. Healing the broken hearted
through marriage reconciliation, the rehabilitation of trafficked women
in our tailoring course and in discouraging dowry; proclaiming freedom
to those who are captives of poverty through vocational training and
micro credit; helping to bring recovery of sight and the treatment of
other illnesses through our hospitals and health programme and setting
free the oppressed through advocacy, empowerment and legal support.
Therefore to celebrate a 25-year
jubilee of our work in development has double meaning! It was in 1971
when the ministry of service to the poor was begun by the Church of
Bangladesh, the very year of its establishment. For when the church
leaders looked to where its priorities should lay, the poverty of the
country and its members was ‘staring it in the face’. Bangladesh at that
time had just won a costly war of independence in which three million
were killed, countless injured, rape of women was systematic, property
destroyed and assets lost. There was so much physical, emotional and
spiritual need in the country. The church responded through the
channelling of aid such as food, medicine and clothes and in the process
of rebuilding communities. Once the country had got itself on its feet,
needs changed and there was a need for a more long-term approach to
assistance.
Therefore in 1982, the Church of
Bangladesh Social Development Programme concentrated on educating
children and adults (which was especially needed as the Pakistani
occupiers had routinely killed teachers and educators); social forestry;
sanitation; primary health care and organising groups (of mainly women)
for mutual support, as well as learning.
In 1994, the Church of
Bangladesh started its successful Micro credit Programme, for with its
giving of small loans at low interest, poor families could be “helped to
help themselves”. Numerous businesses and concerns were set up by women
who may have previously lacked money, but had no shortage of
enterprising ideas: milk production, poultry rearing, basket making,
small shops, rickshaw/van transport, land leasing for crop or tree
cultivation, the hiring out of welding or other equipment, restaurants,
tailoring… the list is endless.
Grameen Bank’s Mohammed Yunus
was last year honoured with a Nobel Prize for the original development
of the highly successful Micro credit concept and it has served CBSDP’s
beneficiaries as well as it has served Grameen’s. But Micro credit has
its limitations so in the last few years CBSDP has been seeking to
expand its portfolio of interventions to assist particularly vulnerable
groups of people. This has led to its pioneering Women and Child
Trafficking Prevention Project, Arsenic Mitigation Project, HIV/AIDS
Project and Climate Change Project, as well as a new emphasis community
participation and on rights based and advocacy approaches to work. CBSDP
has a lot to celebrate, as well as an exciting horizon of new
possibilities to live out the concept of bringing Christ’s jubilee to
communities. However, while we are celebrating here, the happiest are
those whose lives have been transformed – the communities and
individuals with which we work.
That is why it was so
appropriate that our main celebrations occurred at village, sub-district
and district level involving as many of the local people that we have
worked with as possible. Here the celebrations reached fever pitch!
Thank God…
• For my marriage to Dipty Linda! And that the ceremonies went
really well and were really enjoyable (I will write more about it soon).
• For 25 years of exceptional service to the poor by the Church of
Bangladesh.
• That we have a nice flat that we will move into shortly, after we
have got it ready.
• Please pray for relief efforts to the victims of Cyclone Sidr.
CBSDP is involved in aid and rehabilitation work with those affected.
• Please pray for the complete recovery of my father’s sight after
a recent stroke, but thank God that he was able to attend my wedding.
• That God would guide us in developing a role for Linda within the
CBSDP, as she will work alongside me in the development work.
• Pray that the President and advisors will have the wisdom and
ability to ensure peaceful and fair elections, especially in the light
of recent student riots around the country.
• Pray that the effects of the Stop the Traffik networks in the UK,
Bangladesh and elsewhere would be successful.
• That Sabina would receive justice and obtain compensation from
her traffickers.
• Also, pray for our colleagues in the CBSDP, that God would supply
his wisdom and blessing to their life and work.
• That I would have time and motivation to improve my Bengali
language skills!
• That we will be able to develop wisely the arsenic
mitigation project.
• That the love of God would really touch the hearts of the men,
women and girls we are working with and that we would be effective in
our activities to uplift them.
James Pender
James
Pender Advisor Bangladesh Social Development Programme
Meherpur 15 September 2007 Bangladesh
Dear friends,
Last month I was privileged to
attend a ‘South Asia Consultation
On Tackling Newly Emerging Vulnerabilities
Leading To Trafficking In Children and Women
To discuss how the church was
addressing this problem within the region. Participants came from the
Church of North India (CNI), the Church of South India (CSI), the
Baptist Church (North-east India), the Presbyterian Church of India, the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of India, the Nepal National Council of
Churches, the Bhutan National Council of Churches and the Church of
Bangladesh.
There were also regional
representatives of the Council for World Mission (CWM) from Jamaica,
Zambia and New Zealand, not to mention myself who was there to represent
CWM Europe, CMS, USPG, the Methodists and the Church of Scotland. As I
travelled – up by train (via Calcutta) and then back by coach (via the
north-western most tip of Bangladesh) – the journey in itself was a bit
of an adventure.
Darjeeling was cool and wet,
with cloud blocking out the view of the mountains, but was still
fascinating. The consultation was also very interesting, and although I
gave a presentation on the Church of Bangladesh’s ‘Women and Child
Trafficking Prevention Project’ (perhaps representing five organisations
already wasn’t quite enough although as I had helped start it, I was
very happy to do so), my official role was to take notes and write a
report for those whom I was representing. There were some incredible
speakers on the various panels; in fact so much to learn from. One lady
whose slogan was ‘you don’t need funding to work, just get on and do it’
had taken her philosophy quite literally and taken 50 formerly
trafficked girls from the red light district in Delhi into her family
home! She cared for them all from her university lecturer’s salary and
even saw that they received good skills training - from embroidery, to
opening and running a restaurant, to even taxi driving.
What’s more, some of these
girls are even being trained as social activists, to take over in time
the work of rescue and rehabilitation! However, I don’t know whether it
was my love of a good cuppa, the intriguing history of Darjeeling or the
fact that it seemed like the fate of the area was intimately bound up
with the British but it was the photos of Anirban that really pulled me
in.
He had been asked to take on a
photo project in the tea gardens for the Eastern Himalaya Diocese of the
CNI.
What he documented was quite
disturbing and I wrote about it for my report. I hope that the following
story moves you as much as it did me:
Darjeeling is a charming place; the
whole town seems to be perched precariously on the side of steep
valleys. In the monsoon season the town is draped in cloud with constant
rain and drizzle and it must have been reassuringly like Britain for
colonialists escaping the searing heat of the Indian plains. In the
spring and autumn, Darjeeling is one of the most beautiful locations in
the world – looking out onto wooded hillsides and beyond to the snowy
white peaks of the mighty Himalayas, with four out of five of the
highest peaks in the world visible. Walking around town, up sharp
flights of steps, roads winding up and down the hill, seemingly nothing
on the level, the British influence is inescapable.
It was startling to suddenly
see a clock tower peeping out from behind a row of shops, identical to
those in many a town square within Surrey. Peaked roofed country houses
deceive you into thinking that you are in the West Country not West
Bengal. A teashop is lifted straight from an English seaside resort.
Then there’s St. Andrew’s Church, true both in form and in name to its
Scottish heritage.
Even getting to Darjeeling you
can still use the narrow gauge mountain railway, which snakes its way
along precipices and through forests that originally used a Scottish
built steam engine.

This ridge top hill station,
established in 1835 as a place where colonials serving the British Raj
could take their summer holidays, took on a life of its own with the
arrival of tea.
The East India Company was
desperate to find a way to break the Chinese monopoly on the tea trade
and was fortunate to discover a plant related to the Chinese tea bush,
but with bigger leaves, in the jungles of Assam. It was soon discovered
that tea grown in the Darjeeling hills 2000metres above sea level
developed a special flavour. Tea production flourished and many estates
were established, even on near vertical slopes, eventually producing 25
per cent of all India’s tea. Tea production is by necessity labour
intensive, leaves needing to be plucked by hand and then carefully
processed. Firstly, speed fans reduce moisture content; they are then
crushed with rollers before being slightly fermented and then dried.
With
such a slow process, the British brought Adivasi people from further
west to help in the tea gardens as well as encouraging an influx of
Ghurkhas from Nepal to come.
The tea gardens can each employ
between 800-5000 people. Traditionally workers received various perks
such as blankets, accommodation, clothes and some food in addition to
wages. They were not affluent but comfortable and able to afford little
luxuries such as photos and albums to keep them in.
Tea bushes have a surprising
long working life - similar to the lifespan of a man or woman, optimally
up to around 70 years or so. However, in the Darjeeling area tea bushes
on many estates are much older than this, and with the general quantity
and quality of leaves declining so is income. Really new bushes should
be replacing old ones for long-term viability. But we live in a world
where ‘cost is king’ and bargains are the order of the day, and most
people want cheap tea rather than prices that reflect fair wages and the
true cost of production. Because of this, owners can’t afford to replant
and estates are closing – leaving thousands destitute.
Thirteen plantations have
already closed locally and more are sure to follow suit. Unemployed tea
pickers and other employees have only ever known work within the tea
industry and do not have the skills to easily find other jobs. Some are
finding temporary work as manual labourers on construction sites, but
many are not so lucky. However, while opportunities for tea plantation
workers are shrinking another industry is booming.
Unscrupulous traders in human
flesh are moving in to take advantage of the desperate. Starving
families are easily convinced to send their children to cities within
India, being promised abounding opportunities and good jobs. Cynical
traffickers make sure that a girl or boy takes all their photos with
them when they leave home, as without a photo tracing them becomes
almost impossible.
Even securing a girl rescued
from a brothel – where she is being continuously abused – is difficult
without a photo and proof of her identity and age as a ‘minor’. When
nothing is heard of a son, daughter or sister for years on end, the pain
becomes doubly great, as a family doesn’t even have a photo to remember
them by. One mother salvaged one tiny photo from her daughter’s school
and keeps it in a wooden box with her most precious objects, the safest
place in the house. Why she keeps it was a question that she could not
really answer, as now she has almost lost hope of seeing her girl again,
but it is all she has left.
It is within this context that
the Church of North India’s Diocese of the Eastern Himalayas is working,
encouraging communities to be vigilant, and making them aware of the
real motives of those traffickers promising better futures within
cities, assisting with rescues, counselling and rehabilitation.
Combating this evil trade is a mountain to climb, but the community of
Darjeeling, who’s most famous son Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was joint first
to climb the world’s highest peak, are a determined people.
For they know that in the
Sermon on the Mount Jesus called us to be ‘light for the whole world.
A city built on top of a hill
cannot be hidden’ just like Darjeeling. To be neutral therefore is not
an option and with Christ’s crucified power they will ‘liberate the
captives’ bringing God’s light into their shattered lives. Thank God…
• For the opportunity given by the consultation and the
determination of churches within South Asia to get involved in
anti-trafficking work.
• For the successful installation of new deep tube wells in
Meherpur (I will write more about this soon). Please pray…
• Pray for the success of the CNI in Darjeeling in preventing
trafficking from the tea gardens.
• Please pray for the complete recovery of my father’s sight after
a recent stroke.
• That arrangements for my wedding to Linda (including my parents
coming out for it) would go smoothly and successfully.
• That a new location and accommodation for us after marriage would
be sorted out.
• That God would guide us into the right areas that we should be
involved with, and in particular an appropriate role for Linda.
• Pray that the President and his advisors will have the wisdom and
ability to ensure peaceful and fair elections, especially in the light
of recent student riots around the country.
• Pray that the effects of the Stop the Traffic networks in the UK,
Bangladesh and elsewhere would be successful.
• That Sabina would receive justice and would obtain compensation
from her traffickers.
• Also, please pray for our colleagues in the CBSDP, that God would
supply His wisdom and blessing to their life and work.
• That I would have time and motivation to improve my Bengali
language skills!
• That we will be able to wisely develop the arsenic mitigation
project.
• That the love of God would really touch the hearts of the men,
women & girls we are working with and that we would be effective in our
activities to uplift them.
James
Pender
Street Pastors
It is one o’clock on Saturday
morning in Epsom town centre and two uniformed figures approach a man
still shouting about his recent refusal to a night club, what next… a
confrontation?…an escalation?…no instead a friendly chat to help calm
emotions and a listening ear to give some welcome attention. These
uniformed figures are Street Pastors.
Street Pastors is an initiative
designed to help get the church more visibly present on the streets
where it can have an impact for good. Street Pastors are ordinary
Christian people who have been trained to go amongst the night life and
be there to care, listen and help. As Peter Rice the senior Street
Pastor observes “Giving someone your undivided attention for even five
minutes can be a rare and powerful experience for many people.” Walking
people to a safe place, calling an ambulance, listening and offering
ideas about people’s life choices or just being a peaceful presence can
all be part of a night’s work for a Street Pastor.
Street Pastors is an initiative of Ascension Trust and it
has been going nationally since 2003. Already over 700 have been trained
around the UK and in the local region schemes are underway in Kingston,
Merton and Sutton. Evidence is available to show a significant impact
on crime rates, for example in Camberwell the Metropolitan Police’s own
data showed street crime falling by 95% during the six month trial of
Street Pastors in that area.
The Epsom Street Pastor has been
set up with the agreement and support of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council,
Surrey Police and Surrey County Council.
David Smith, Chief Executive of
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council said ‘We are pleased that Epsom and
Ewell Borough Council is involved in piloting the Street Pastor scheme
in Surrey. We want people to feel safe when they go out in the Town
Centre at night, and believe that the Street Pastors will have an
important part to play in this.’
Epsom & Ewell Neighbourhood
Inspector Ailsa Quinlan said: “the Epsom Neighbourhood Policing team are
looking forward to working with the Street Pastors over the coming
months. Surrey Police are always looking for ways to work with new
partners to improve upon public reassurance and to ensure people using
the facilities in Epsom & Ewell during the evening know there are people
there to keep them safe.
Street Pastors in Epsom aims to
have a patrol out once a month on Friday nights. They are aiming to
grow that into weekly presence and to make that viable would love to
hear from those interested in volunteering and who have the support of
their church leadership. To be a Street Pastor you need to be over 18
(no upper age limit), a church member and able to commit to a 12 session
training course in three groups of four Saturdays over a year. The
course includes subjects such as counselling skills, drugs awareness,
sociology, knowing your community, role and responsibility, and street
safety.
If you are interested please
contact Peter Rice (email
pecanrice@yahoo.co.uk.)
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London to Brighton
cycle ride
Sunday 17 June 2007 |
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Tony
Blakeburn |
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Robert
Hill |
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Karin
Junker |
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John
Brameld |
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Andrew
Meech |
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John said “Andrew come with us”. It could have been the call of one of the
first disciples, but it was a “simple” invitation to join Karin & John on
the British Heart Foundations (BHF) London to Brighton cycle ride. As we
discussed and planned the day we found that Robert had challenged Tony to do
the same.
For nearly half a century pioneering scientists sponsored by BHF have
contributed to advances in prevention, diagnosis and care that have saved
and improved the quality of lives of thousands of people across the UK and
the world. But “prevention is better than cure”. Not being physically
active is the most common risk factor for heart disease, and latest
statistics suggests seven out of ten adults don’t do enough exercise. Here
us an example of 5 people who have increased their exercise levels.
I am pleased to report that
Karin Junker, John Brameld, Robert Hill, Tony Blakeburn, and I all completed
the 54 mile London to Brighton Cycle ride on 17 June, raising just over
£3,500 in sponsorship for the British Heart Foundation.
Armed with six bananas, four
Alpen breakfast bars and Karin & John, I set out from Clapham Common on
Sunday morning at 7.12am, delayed from 6.30am. After 3 hours 45 minutes I
reached the cheering crowds on the Brighton seafront. (Okay, 10 minutes
after Karin & John!). Alas only one banana was able to cross the line with
me. Those bananas that did not return shall be forever remembered!
The first hour was one of bike
craft, weaving through 26,999 other cyclists. The second hour was more
enjoyable as the gaps opened up and we faced the rolling Sussex Wold.
Gradually the South Downs came into view, first appearing as a dark line in
the distance, then rising up seemingly like the Massif Central. Where was
the energy? Where were the crowds now that I needed them? And so to the
£3,500 question: did we “rise on eagles’ wings” at the all important
Ditchling Beacon climb? Well Karin & John did, but alas, I grew “weary and
tired”. Powered by Bacon butties our slightly maturer men did not grow
weary either as both Robert and Tony made it up the Beacon. Whatever the
ratio of agony to ecstasy on the climb, the descent onto the seafront in
Brighton blew away the disappointment and it is a testimony to the
efficiency of my brakes that I did not end up lunching in Boulogne!
So as a team we would like to
say, “Thank you” for your support, the cheerful responses to our brazen
request for funds and your generous sponsorship. Tony Blakeburn’s
sponsorship was matched by his employer so I offered to match my BHF
sponsorship with a gift to EMC’s development fund. I was grateful that only
Neil Dallen offered to bankrupt me! In all then, just over £3,500 has been
raised for the British Heart Foundation and £1,000 for the EMC development
fund - always assuming that those of you who have pledged, but not yet
coughed up, actually pay! Once again, thank you very much.
Andrew Meech

John, Karin and Andrew - sporting cycling shirts provided by
Andrew’s firm – celebrate their arrival on Brighton seafront.
Epsom Methodist Church Monthly
e-mail Updates
Each month the webmaster circulates
the changes to this site, most can be found on the News page. But this is a
reminder that certain information has been updated, changed or deleted.
This group mail is sent to all
those that wish this and every e-mail is hidden.
Many get this but there is a new
option to JOIN (if you do not get the monthly updates) or if you do you may
wish to get yourself REMOVED.
Just use the following
CLICK
here to send a message to the webmaster, in the Subject line put JOIN EMC
LIST or REMOVE EMC LIST, it helps if you are joining to add your name/s as
some e-mails are not explicit!
You Took My
Parking Space at Church
This should wake us
up.
One day, a man went
to visit a church. He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another
car pulled up near him. The driver got out and said, 'I always park there!
You took my place!
After Sunday School
which is typical in the USA before the Service, the visitor went into the
sanctuary for Worship and sat down. Another member walked up to him and
said, 'That's where I always sit! You took my place!'
The visitor was even
more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.
Later as the
congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood
up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his
hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him
and called out, 'What happened to you?' The visitor replied, as his hat
became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, 'I took your place.'
When you read this,
say a prayer. That's all you have to do.
Author Unknown
A Royal Day to Remember
Our
congratulations to Bill Pryor, a faithful member of EMC, who was invited to
meet the Queen at Guildford Cathedral on Maundy Thursday. He said it was a
fine service in the Cathedral and a lovely occasion all together.
Billy was waiting in
line with other guests, as the Queen made her way from one to another. When
she came to him, seeing his white stick, she took hold of his hand and put
the Maundy money gift into his hand, speaking to him warmly, and Billy was
able to speak with her before she moved along.
We are proud of you
Billy and very glad that you were able to respond to
The Queen’s invitation.
We hope it will be a day you will always remember.
D J Winwood
Who is Who in the
EMC Family
There have been questions raised as to the value of putting pictures
of the fellowship on a web site. Whilst we have a very useful
albumen of photographs in the Church this is not always available at all times whilst the site is
available all the time providing one has access to the Internet
either at home/work or perhaps in the local library.
But the most useful is that as a family approaching over five
hundred with at
least four different services on a Sunday, it is very difficult to
find out who is who, this gives the opportunity to not only
recognise folk by sight but to know their names.
I have been informed that this is most appreciated by new fellowship
folk who are
able to get acquainted much more easily, joining a large fellowship
can be a daunting task. Whilst we have allocated welcomers for each
service in most cases this is only a perfunctory hand shake due to time
and not knowing people by name.
Whilst there has been
for a few years an index of photographs, this has not been of much
help if the name is unknown or forgotten.
There is a new requested
snapshot album for you to recognise the person you are seeking, with a link
to a larger photograph.
So try out this new requested
idea and let me have your feedback, PLEASE
Link is here just CLICK
Fellowship Pictures
Following reservations from the EMC Fellowship about Identity Fraud,
the webmaster has been informed by the I T Specialists via Epsom
Police Station, that a named photograph does not represent any such
risks.
In general criminal activities are restricted once a photograph for
recognition purposes is shown, the Police also say that credit card
details, invoices, bank and consumer accounts etc. are the main
source of identity fraud and these should be destroyed, best by
shredding rather than just binning.
Needless to say that the option not to have individual’s pictures on
the site is a matter of personal choice and this will be respected.
Ps
I have had my photograph on at least four website over the last 20
odd years and to date have had no problems
Cliff Douthwaite your webmaster
PLEASE WEAR A POPPY.

"Please wear a
poppy," the lady said
And held one
forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped
and watched as she offered them there,
And her face
was old and lined with care;
But beneath
the scars the years had made
There remained
a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came
whistling down the street,
Bouncing along
on care-free feet.
His smile was
full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said
he, "may I have one?"
When she's
pinned it on he turned to say,
"Why do we
wear a poppy today?"
The lady
smiled in her wistful way
And answered,
"This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy
there is the symbol for
The gallant
men who died in war.
And because
they did, you and I are free -
That's why we
wear a poppy, you see.
"I had a boy
about your size,
With golden
hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to
play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird
he would race about.
As the years
went by he learned and grew
and became a
man - as you will, too.
"He was fine
and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd
seemed with us such a little while
When war broke
out and he went away.
I still
remember his face that day
When he smiled
at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back
soon, Mum, so please don't cry.
"But the war
went on and he had to stay,
And all I
could do was wait and pray.
His letters
told of the awful fight,
(I can see it
still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks
and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines
and bullets, the bombs and fire.
"Till at last,
at last, the war was won -
And that's why
we wear a poppy son."
The small boy
turned as if to go,
Then said,
"Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did
sound like an awful fight,
But your son -
did he come back all right?"
A tear rolled
down each faded check;
She shook her
head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away
in a sort of shame,
And if you
were me you'd have done the same;
For our
thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Though our
freedom was bought - and thousands paid!
And so when we
see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect
on the burden borne,
By those who
gave their very all
When asked to
answer their country's call
That we at
home in peace might live.
Then wear a
poppy! Remember - and give!
~~By Don
Crawford with thanks.~~
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