News from the churches

IT WAS a really a case of 'Beware Low-flying pancakes' at Wanlip hall on Shrove Tuesday.

Batter was being battered and massed ranks of frying pans wielded to produce a prodigious number of pancakes for the assembled multitude! It really was a multitude, so many people enjoying lovely pancakes with a great variety of toppings and, of course, cups of tea or coffee.

Wanlip Hall is also still providing 'Old Nick's Coffee Shop' on the third Tuesday of every month, between the hours of 10am and 12 noon, so there is the opportunity to enjoy more home-made cakes and scones in the company of friends.

Our Hand Bell Ringers of Birstall are extending an invitation to anyone who would like to learn to ring hand bells. To quote Nick Bryan: “The only requirements are hands that work, the ability to count to four and having a sense of rhythm!”

If this is something you feel you would like to do, please call Nick on 07794646926 or email him on 'nickbryan5@gmail.com'. He will be very pleased to hear from you.

Good news for those who are coming to use the 'Warm Spaces' times: the church will continue to be open until the summer, to continue to provide a welcoming meeting place.

Visitors are always most welcome at the Mother's Union meetings on the third Monday of the month, and also at the St James Monday Group meetings on the second Monday of the month. The next Monday Group meeting is on April 3, at 2.30pm, and the topic is "Smile please - say cheese!", an inviting title for a talk all about cheese by Ian Rogersonwith samples!

From April 2, which is, of course, Palm Sunday, to Easter Sunday on April 9, St James Church and the church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Wanlip, will be holding special services throughout the Easter period. Details can be obtained from the churches and will also be printed in the Birstall Post.

From Birstall Parish Church

ALL OF the groups meeting on our premises are continuing to be very popular.

The Lunch Club had an amusing Red Nose day, following the Mr Men theme this year with red noses of all shapes and sizes.

Last month we held the annual Lepro- sy Mission coffee morning and raffle, and we managed to raise £250. We have restarted the Down Memory Lane monthly afternoon tea with a ukulele band; we wait to see what is happening this month. This year we were the hosts for the World Day of Prayer. We gathered for a small lunch, and then had a time of worship using a service written by the Christian women of Taiwan.

Last month we had the pleasure of welcoming two choirs into our church; Ratcliffe Chorale and the Knighton Community Choir. Both were led by Simon Lubkowski, using his uniquely informal and jocular style. With the many extra chairs squeezed in, there must have been nearly 250 people present, including the 80 singers. We all enjoyed the wide variety of pieces and the high standard of singing by such an eclectic range of songsters. A massive thank you to our organisers and helpers who made the event such a success. The whole evening managed to raise £979 for our church funds and Action for Children.

The Warm Space in our Coffee Shop has been hugely successful, bringing in a significant number of people every day. A massive thank you to Charnwood BC, Birstall PC and the regional Methodist Mission fund for the grants, and to our wonderful team of volunteers serving a lake of tea and coffee at the counter, and baking endless scones, cakes and bacon butties. Unfortunately though, this initiative is soon to come to an end just before Easter.

Our normal Coffee Shop will resume after Easter, 10am – 12noon Monday to Saturday, where we will still be extending a warm welcome to anyone who enters, including dogs!

Every week we have a Midweek Communion service on a Wednesday at 9.30am, usually led by our minister Rev Hunt. Many of us find this quiet time of reflection, prayer and remembrance most valuable. We spend just 30 minutes each week to step aside from our busy lives, to celebrate together the sacrifice that Jesus made for each one of us. Anyone is welcome to join us.

During Holy Week before Easter, we will be joining with the other churches in Birstall for events such as the Walk of Witness on Good Friday.

From Birstall Methodist Church

Easter: God’s Plan

In March, we considered God’s use of circumstances to achieve His purposes and this month is the supreme example of this, when God achieved His good good friendly club atmosphere. If you would like to give bowls a try, you will always find a warm welcome at St Margaret’s Club, at the Co-op Sports Ground, Birstall Road, Birstall LE4 4DE. www.smcbc.com

For more information contact Carolyn or John on 0116 2675947.

Pic: Rachel Smith and Lol Mounteney, the winners of last season’s Mixed Pairs’ competition, at the presentation evening in March purposes through great evil. (This does not mean that those who sent Jesus to the cross were innocent: God tells us in the Bible that we will all face judgement for our actions, be they good or bad.) The Lord Jesus Christ was declared to be sinless and without fault, even by His enemies, but nevertheless, He underwent a sham trial, a Roman flogging and was then crucified on the Cross at Calvary. In addition, He suffered the desertion of His friends in His hour of need. He truly was ‘a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief’ (as Isaiah prophesied some 700 years earlier – see Isaiah chapter 53).

However, Isaiah also tells us that this event, which we mark on Good Friday, was according to God the Father’s will: ‘Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise [crush] Him.’ This was not brutality and cruelty by God the Father but in order to show His mercy, grace and loving kindness by providing salvation for those who put their trust in Jesus.

Isaiah continued: ‘My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.’

Nor was the Lord Jesus Christ a helpless victim in all this, for He knew this was His purpose here on earth.

The Apostle Peter showed this when he preached to the Jews on the day of Pentecost. ‘Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know - this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.’ (Acts 2:22-24)

One hymn by the Welshman, William Williams (1717-1791), ‘Awake my soul and rise’ expresses some of the amazement we feel at God’s plan. He writes: ‘How gloriously fulfilled is that most ancient plan, contrived in the eternal mind before the world began. Here depths of wisdom shine, which angels cannot trace.’ He continues: ‘Here free salvation reigns … [and] hell in all her strength … can never snatch a wandering sheep from Jesus’ arms away.’ No wonder Christians ‘Praise the Saviour, now and ever!’ http://www.birstallbaptistchurch.org.uk or 0116 2214883

You are most welcome to join us for our Sunday services but will need to contact us for venues, as there are several Bank Holidays in April/May, and we are not able to use the Day Centre on these occasions.

From Birstall Independent Baptist Church

37 - 39 Station Road Cropston, Leicester 0116 2362363