Churches Together

Photograph by Nigel Cox Photograph by Nigel Cox

United Reformed Church

Tastes of Christmas

This fundraising and social event took place on Saturday 2nd December. People were encouraged to come in via the church, there were stalls in the church and the church was beautifully decorated and lit with Christmas lights. There were further stalls and activities in the back room and hall including the food hampers’ raffle. Coffee, food, mince pies and mulled wine were a big attraction.

Christmas Family Service: Joyce Goodall led our Christmas Family Service on Sunday 17th December. The prayers included the “Christmas Stress Prayer”. There was a drama entitled “So much to do!” and it wasn’t until the end of the conversation between two people that we realised it was Mary and Joseph speaking. During the scripted bible readings a candle was lit for every person mentioned in the reading and a candle was extinguished when each person exited the story leaving one remaining candle alight at the end. This candle being Jesus the light of the world which continues forever.

Our morning worship on Sunday 31st December was led by members and friends and included an interesting presentation of slides from Jerusalem and Bethlehem taken in 2017 by Aidan and Rosaline Van de Weyer.

Carol Singing

Churches Together joined customers at the Black Horse on 13th December for the annual Carol singing evening and on Saturday morning 16th December Churches Together sang carols opposite the Cross. Donations for both events amounted to £152 which was given to the local Home Start charity.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

There were various prayer meetings, communion and services held in the churches during the week beginning 18th January. A reflective service was held in our church on the Wednesday. The joint service when all churches took part was held in our church on Sunday 21st January at 4pm followed by a bring and share tea giving an opportunity for the churches to socialise with each other. The theme for the week was “That All May Be Free”.

Easter

Our Good Friday Service will be at 10am on 30th March followed by hot cross buns and coffee in the hall. Easter Sunday Service is on 1st April and will include the Sacrament of Holy Communion. All are warmly invited.

We are having a Musical Concert in the church on Saturday evening 14th April. The musicians, Boniface Consort, are booked and the evening will conclude with a supper. Please contact Eirwen Karner for further details, telephone 01763 262346. Minister

Our minister the Reverend Duncan Goldie is moving on to pastures new. Duncan has accepted a calling to be a minister in the URC/Methodist pastorate on the Dorset/Wiltshire borders comprising Sherborne, Shaftesbury, Wincanton and Mere. Duncan has been with us for over 11 years and his last service with us will be on Good Friday. We wish Duncan well in his new venture.

All Saints’, Melbourn, and Holy Trinity, Meldreth

Now that Spring is in the midst of springing, the earth awakens around us, and Mother Nature is busy once again! There is also a lot of good news to report from All Saints’ and Holy Trinity, and much to look forward to.

Christmas saw record attendances in both Holy Trinity and All Saints’, which was especially encouraging for all those who worked so hard to make our two churches welcoming and attractive. Once again, we welcomed Noah the Donkey to our annual Crib Service (Noah left us a little Christmas present for our roses!), and it was a delight to see so many faces, both old and new, gathering to worship the birth of Our Lord Jesus. The Carol Service was very well attended (perhaps the mince pies helped!), and so was the Midnight Eucharist. On Epiphany Sunday, we blessed some yellow chalk, which we used to mark a special blessing above the doors of our homes, upon all those who visit us throughout the year.

Candlemas Sunday on 4 February also saw a special day of celebration, with two festival services in the morning. In the afternoon, Dr Tom Murgatroyd gave an organ recital at All Saints’, which followed a programme of J S Bach, and others, along with Olivier Messiaen’s ‘La Nativite du Seigneur’, a musical meditation upon the birth of Jesus. We then had tea and cake, and to end the day, we had a special Choral Evensong with a candlelit procession.

Lent Lunches are being held once again in both parishes, so do please look out for posters to find out more. We are also planning on holding Lent Groups again this year, following two different modules of the ‘Pilgrim Course’, ‘The Beatitudes’ and ‘The Creeds’.

Of course, Holy Week and Easter are just around the corner, and so on Palm Sunday, we will have an ecumenical procession, followed by a Sung Eucharist. Noah the Donkey will help us mark Palm Sunday, and if you want to join in with us, we’ll be leaving the Village Hall in Meldreth at 9.15am. Holy Week is a very special time in the church’s year, and so we have a full programme of varied services throughout the week: on Tuesday at 7.30pm, we have Compline and an Address at All Saints’; Wednesday at 7.30pm we have a Service of Tenebrae at Holy Trinity; on Maundy Thursday, we have a Sung Eucharist and Watch at 7.30pm at All Saints’; on Good Friday we have a Children’s Act of Worship and then Workshop at Holy Trinity at 10am, followed by a Service of Readings and Guided Meditation at All Saints’ at 12noon, followed by the Liturgy of the Day at 1.30pm at All Saints’. On Holy Saturday (sometimes called Easter Eve), we have a very special Easter Vigil, blessing of the Easter Fire, procession of the Paschal Candle, and then First Eucharist of Easter at All Saints’ at 7.30pm; and on Easter Day itself, we have services at 8am and 11.15am at All Saints’, and 9.30am at Holy Trinity.

Yet – that’s not all! On Sunday 20 May, we have a very special Celebration of Baptism Service, to which we will be inviting all those who have been recently baptised (and their families!) to join us at All Saints’. All are welcome, and do look out for more details!

Messy Church continues its success, and our next session is on Sunday May 13 at Holy Trinity at 3.30pm. Last time, we had over 31 children join us, so do come along and see what all the fuss is about!

There’s a lot going on at All Saints’, and Holy Trinity, so come along and join in the fun! Best wishes indeed to you all, The Revd Lizzie Shipp MA Telephone 01763 220 626 vicar.melbournmeldreth@gmail.com www.allsaintsmelbournholytrinitymeldreth.co.uk Facebook: @ASMHTM

Melbourn Baptist Church’s Christmas card scheme raised more than £102 this year for charity. Each year, rather than church members sending cards to one another, it has become a tradition for people to send one card to the whole church, and to give to charity money that would have otherwise been spent.

This year the church chose to support the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, which works with children and adults with severe learning disabilities.

Youngsters at the church followed up their successful Landlubbers summer holiday club with their Snowlubbers holiday club just before Christmas. Those who attended had a great time, with plenty of fun and games.

The church enjoyed a ‘chocaholics’ fundraising event, when people had a chance to try and buy various chocolates, and support the church’s special building fund.

There is plenty for other church members to get involved with this year, including another opportunity to Eat Cake and Pray, when people have a chance to get together for a time of fellowship and prayer.

There is also safeguarding training for everyone who takes part in pastoral, children’s, and youth work.

The church also held deacons elections early this year, and took part in a week of prayer for Christian unity, which included a Melbourn and Meldreth Churches Together service.

The church also learned of the passing away in January of Ron Frost, one of its previous ministers.

Supporters of All Saints SOAS

The November draw was made by Mike Rawlings on 2nd December. The first prize of £28 goes to Joan Statter at 60 Orchard Road and the second of £14 to Ruby Wilson at 40 Orchard Road. The December draw was made by Mike Rawlings on 30th December. The first prize of £28 goes to Sue Toule (5) and the second of £14 to Angela Leach (80).

The January draw was made by Anna Taylor on Saturday 3rd February. The first prize of £20 goes to Maureen Townsend (13) at 32 New Road and the second to Janet Batchellor (54) at 13 Elm Way.

The winners of the Winter Quiz were Avril & Roger Mellor who won £10 the second prize of £5 goes to Graham Porter in Hook, Hants.

The Word of God from David Burbridge God, who made heaven and earth, by the mouth of His servant David, has said: Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things? The rulers were gathered together against The Lord and against His Christ, against Thy Holy Child Jesus, to do what Thy Lord determined before to be done (they killed The Lord Jesus) but with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of The Lord Jesus From Acts 4 verses 24–28 & 33

Persephone, Queen of The Underworld, and Goddess of Spring

Sweet Persephone rises from the Underworld As do the daffodils, escaping the dark: The earthen tomb, with petals unfurled Smiling and swinging, and sap rises in bark. Sweet Persephone, beloved daughter of Demeter: The ‘beautiful maiden’, the meaning of her other name ‘Kore’, Brings the season of Spring, with a new metre In the poem of life, from mythological lore. Sweet Persephone: Zeus was her father: A lovely young girl never lacking a suitor. But she was loved with obsession by Demeter Who kept all men far from her. Persistent in love was middle aged Hades, God of the Underworld, living in darkness Among the shadows of the dead, loving no ladies, Only sweet Persephone; he was in distress. Of Demeter he asked permission To marry her daughter, for he was lovelorn. Furious Demeter just gave him rejection, Leaving Hades heart broken and forlorn. Determined Hades planned an abduction. As Persephone stooped to admire an enchanting narcissus, Hades’s chariot rose: took her down to oblivion As the earth opened beneath her, into the dark abyss. Distraught Demeter withdrew her fertility: Earth suffered Winter, barren and cold. To save the world from starvation and frigidity Zeus settled the argument, his decree to everyone told. For six months Demeter’s world is fruitless and dark: For six months Persephone can come up to light, And Spring graces field, meadow and park, And seasons revolve, as do day and night. Yvonne Chamberlain