Church News

Melbourn & Meldreth Churches Together

Forthcoming events all welcome to join in

Palm Sunday April 17th -Walk round Melbourn. With the help of Noah, the parish church’s donkey, in the afternoon we will be having a walk of witness round Melbourn. Time and route of the walk to be announced.

Easter April 22nd – 24th All four Churches will have various services.

Saturday April 30th Royal Wedding Tea Dance in the Melbourn Community Hall. Details to be announced

Sunday May 29th Rogation Walk Meeting 3pm at Holy Trinity Church for a Rogation walk ending at Melbourn Baptist Church for a bring & share Tea.

Posters for all the above will appear nearer the time on all church notice boards and also on prominent places in the villages. Helen John Tel: 01763 261147

CHRISTIAN AID

May 15th – 21st 2011

As I write this it is one year on since the Haiti earthquake disaster and yet more flooding is being reported in Australia. Each year seems to bring more disasters.

Christian Aid is an international development charity which work with people of all faiths and none, in around 50 countries. Mainly in South America, Africa, India, Middle & Far East. Not only do they work with disaster victims but they are also working constantly to help communities to be self-sufficient in fresh water, sanitation & food. When a disaster does strike they are usually the first on the spot to help with local people already working near disaster areas.

As in past years we will be doing a street to street collection in Melbourn.

In the last few years a few dedicated collectors have managed to cover about half of Melbourn and it would be great if this year we could cover more.

If anyone could help by giving out and collecting envelopes in a street (perhaps their own) I would very much like to hear from them. I can be contacted by telephone or email.

Please leave your name , contact details and in which street you would like to collect. Helen John Tel: 01763 261147

United Reformed Church News

Shoe Box Appeal

We celebrated Shoe Box Sunday on 21st November when, as our picture shows, Duncan blessed the 124 boxes collected from churches within the Linked Pastorate, Barrington Bunnies and friends in Fowlmere before they commenced their onward journey to the more deprived areas of Eastern Europe and Africa.

Sound System

Following agreement at the Church Meeting of Wednesday 15th September, our new sound system was installed by Keith Monks Sound Systems during the week commencing Monday 1st November. Thanks to Ken for his help and sound advice (pun intended!) throughout the long process from formulating our requirements to the installation of the chosen system.

There will be a period whilst we get used to using the system and discover what works best for us, both individually especially for those with hearing aids and as a congregation, as well as understanding how to use the microphones to best effect.

Supporters of All Saints

Saturday 26th March. Royston Choral Society ‘In Concert’ in All Saints Church a 7.30 p.m. An evening of songs and music from this talented group of musicians and singers. Early booking advisable. Tickets (£8.00)from George Howard (01763 260686) to include a glass of wine and nibbles.

Saturday 13th May. Stephen Cleobury, Director of Music at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, presents an evening of organ music and will be accompanied by a singer. All Saints Church 7.30 p.m. Details of tickets fro George Howard Tel: 01763 260686.

Sunday 12th June.

The SOAS Open Gardens Day this year will be on Sunday 12th June between 1.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. with teas being offered in All Saints Community Hall. We are inviting all our previous garden hosts to take part again but if you would like to be a garden host please contact George Howard on 01763 260686 or mail him at: howards.carlings@btinternet.com Colin Limming Tel: 01763 260072.

SOAS 100 Club

The December draw of the SOAS 100 Club was made by Rev Andrew O’Brien on 31st December. There were 77 members and the first prize of £25.60 goes to Mrs JT Warden at 10 Thatcher Stanford’s Close and the second of £12.80 to Mrs ZB Hawkin at 21 Greenbanks.

The January draw of the SOAS 100 Club was made by Rev Andrew O’Brien on 31st January. There were 74 members. The first prize of £24.70 goes to Mrs PR Mitchell at 3 Meadow Way and the second of £12.40 goes to Hilary Warboys at 4 Beeton Close.

SOAS Winter Quiz results

The first prize of £10 in the SOAS Winter Quiz with a score of 87/89 goes to Mr CJ Mallett at 16 Springwood Avenue, Stirling – and the second of £5 with a score of 85/89 goes to P Saunders at 31a Orchard Road, Melbourn

All Saints’ Community Hall

Available for at hire at reasonable rates during the day/ evening. The Hall offers screen facilities in the large hall, a separate smaller room for meetings. A fully equipped kitchen and disabled facilities. For enquiries and bookings hallbookings@live.co.uk or 01763 260072 400th Anniversary of the publication of the Authorised Version, in English, of the Holy Bible.

From about AD 400 Church leaders had used a Latin version of The Bible produced by Jerome from the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament.

In the 14th century, John Wycliffe, Rector of Lutterworth, produced an English version from the Latin. He was opposed by the Church leaders, as they maintained that only they had authority to reach religion. Every copy of Wycliffe’s translation had to be hand-written. His assistants suffered severe opposition, but the power of The Word of God, understood and affected minds wherever it was read. About 1500, John Colet defied the authorities by reading the English translation publicly in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Graduates at Cambridge were receiving news of Martin Luther’s attempts at Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517 to show that the established Church needed to be reformed in its understanding of The Word of God. One of these graduates, William Tyndale, visited Luther, and then had the New Testament printed in English at Worms, the town where Luther’s famous defence was made in a Roman Church Court. Tyndale’s New Testaments were smuggled into England, but he was betrayed and killed in Holland. Later, Henry VIII authorised the use of an English Bible in every Church.

An English Bible produced in Geneva became accepted in many parishes here, but other versions began to appear. Bible translator Coverdale was chaplain to King Edward VI, but the Pope resumed control of Churches when Queen Mary succeeded Edward in 1553. Opposition hardened against increasing numbers of people protesting against the teaching of the Church after reading The Bible for themselves. Over 300 consequently met their deaths by burning, including 25 from Cambridge, all treated as heretics.

Upon the death of Queen Mary, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I was crowned in 1558. A more thorough return to what the actual words of The Bible revealed of our Creator then developed into the great 16th century Reformation.

Several versions of The Bible in English were produced, but early in the reign of James I, a conference was held at Hampton Court on 1st November 1605 at which James presided. This resulted in our Authorised Version being published in 1611, to be the standard version used in all churches.

British laws come to be based upon the Bible, and the authority of the Church became subordinate to The Bible. Eventually, under the joint monarchy of William and Mary The Toleration Act was passed in 1689, enshrining the right of any person to proclaim an understanding of The Bible publicly without a licence from the Church. Thus was born the principle that none has the right to silence another’s conscience, or act threateningly against a person voicing his or her thoughts. Based upon The Bible, Britain became a peaceful and prosperous nation of worldwide influence for good for 350 years. David Burbridge.

The Word of God It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Christ put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He was offered to bear the sins of many, and unto those who look for Him, shall he appear unto salvation. Hebrews 9, 26-28