Irby Methodist Church
Newsletter March 2020
A Member of the Wirral Methodist Circuit A Member of Wirral Methodist Circuit www.irbymethodist.org Minister:
Rev. Yangsun Yi
0151 633 2753
email: yangsun.yi@methodist.org.uk
Day off: Monday [ please honour ]
Superintendant Minister: Rev. Heather Cooper 0151 648 8780
email: heather@wirralsuper.plus.com
Day off: Saturday [ please honour ]
Church Leadership Team Church Family & Community: Jean Brookes
648 1130
Lynne Cowell
648 4447
Calvin Wood
648 4466
Angela James
648 2900
Barbara Wood
648 4466
Liz Newton
648 6641
Graham Griffiths
648 2233
Worship:
Mission & Outreach:
Resources:
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Other Roles Church Worship Leaders:
Church Admin Contact:
Angela James
648 2900
Sylvia Gaskell
648 7905
Graham Griffiths
648 2233
email: gnmg1971@gmail.com Church Treasurer
Ian Hall
Pastoral Visitor Co-ordinators Ruth Brabin
6483344 648 1069
Alison Fisher
648 7671
Booking Secretary
Graham Griffiths
648 2233
Hymnal Plus
Angela James
648 2900
Funday Sunday Leader
Linda Renmans
648 7652
Circuit Meeting Reps.
Liz Newton
648 6641
Angela James
648 2900
Ken Brabin
648 1069
Newsletter Editor
email: kenbgc@gmail.com Website
Roy Fisher
648 7671
email: roy@royfisher.co.uk
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Pastoral Letter
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! One day, I found some pieces of my Korean ingredients were scattered on the kitchen floor. At first, I simply thought that they must have been dropped from a cupboard by my mistake. A few days later, I found again the remnants of the same Korean ingredients were in the same spot as before. I thought that’s very weird but did not think twice but cleaned them up. A few days later, one of my colleagues who was trained as a Methodist minister popped into my house on the way back to her home from 3Generate. As usual I offered her English tea or coffee. As she asked me to give her a cup of green tea, I opened a big box which has over hundred green tea bags. But I was shocked when I opened the box, for there was no tea bag left, not even one, in the box. I was wondering where all the tea bags had gone and how that is possible. I stared at the empty box for a while and found the box was gnawed. That was the moment that I realised there are mice or rats in the kitchen cupboard.
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So a manse steward had to call a pest controller to find where there are any mice or rats in my kitchen. The pest controller said they are not mice but rats. And he found a few holes underneath the kitchen cupboard floor and one of the walls of the kitchen. He did not block the holes and the wall but, the first time, he left baits for rats to catch them. When he came at the second time, he again did not block them but checked only whether any rat took the baits away or not. And at the third time, he blocked the holes when he was convinced that no more rats are coming into the kitchen cupboards. Perhaps we who believe in Jesus Christ tend to have the same attitude toward our hearts and minds as the cupboards. That means that just as I could not even imagine that there were rats coming through holes underneath the kitchen floor and one side of the kitchen wall, we tend not to even imagine that we have the adversary who is looking for someone to devour coming through a sort of ‘hole’, anxiety, in our hearts and minds (1Peter 5:7-8). So I’d like encourage you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to cast all your anxiety to Jesus Christ who asks you, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Mat. 11:28). With every blessing.
Yangsun 5
This report from The Leadership Team is not very easy for me to put together due to only recently losing my son, my head is not functioning properly, but here goes. Firstly, my grateful thanks for all the love,care,cards and support we have received as a family. Nigel will be remembered for his time in the Youth Club and his Badminton playing before he moved to Knutsford then on to live and work in Leigh with his second wife Karen. During the first Sunday of the month, Rev. Yangsun recognised the Pastoral Visitors Team and prayed for their continued service to members of our church. Rev. Heather Cooper took the service in the evening. This was our three-way joint service with West Kirby and Greasby. Irby played host this time. If you have never been to one of these services do give it a try it is good sharing our faith with other people. Please pray for those who are unable to get to church plus people in hospital or who are ill at home. These include Richard Ellison; Roy Fisher; Sylvia Gaskell; Joyce Ratcliffe and Cathie, a friend of Wendy. Not forgetting Marjory Jackson and Rose Wills. Pray also for Sue and Colin Foster. Sue's mother passed away this month. So many people need our prayers, and will continue to do so. 6
On a much lighter note we give thanks for Rosemary Wilson who celebrated her 90th Birthday on 17th February. Well done Rosemary! By the time this report goes to print we will have had our Church Council meeting. Question: What is a Church Council and what is its function? Come along and see, you might be surprised. It is too late for this one but look out for the date of our next one in October. I leave you with the first verse of StF 351: In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand. [ Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend ]
Jean
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Home Missions Now – The Mission in Britain Fund
In 1959, the Irby Methodist Church started to collect funds for the Methodist Home Missions Department, and a grand total of £14.0.7d was donated. Donations were made at midweek meetings, Sunday services and by regular individual donations. Miss Phyllis Lea, being the first to subscribe in this way. The following year Home Mission boxes were introduced and individuals put in cash donation throughout the year. At the end of 1960/1 a total of £19.08.2d was passed on the Home Missions. In the years between 1959 and 1974 Mr R P Williams was our Home Missions Secretary and a total of £929 had been donated to the Fund. In 1965 the Church started the Stewardship envelopes scheme, and a yearly donations of £100 was made from our stewardship envelopes. In 1974 Mr Williams retired as secretary and Mrs Jill Burton took over. For the next few years the Stewardship payments contributed over half of each year's total, but with the receipts from boxes reducing, and then eventually, when Stewardship receipts were stopped, the yearly income was down to 1960 levels again. Something had to be done. In 1984 , Jill introduced the Smartie Tubes Scheme. Take a tube of Smarties , eat them and return the tube with pennies. 72p if you squeezed them in. Slowly income began to increase to over £100.00 a year. Then £200 and then £300. In 1996 and 2004 £369 was donated. But 2000 was the highest, when a total of £408 recorded.
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With our congregation much smaller now we are still quite amazingly collecting a substantial amount, not or Home Missions any more, but a new name of the Mission in Britain Fund. As a matter of interest, between 1959 and 1973 over ÂŁ600 was given to the fund. And from 1974 to 2019 the total was over ÂŁ9000. Of which Smarties tubes contributed 75% I do hope not too many children's baby teeth were ruined, but whatever way our members have contributed, both young and old, it has been for a good cause. Over the years I must have handled over half a million coppers , when I have emptied the tubes to bank. There has been all sorts of foreign coins that had to be removed, and this year I found a little plastic bag filled with old 6 penny pieces, a veritable hoard. What to do with them? Perhaps get them cleaned and offered back to the congregation, to put in your home made Christmas puddings, if anyone still makes their own. Please keep supporting this worthy cause. Much love
Jill and John.
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Sue and Colin would like to thank everyone for their cards, flowers and good wishes on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary which was, unfortunately, tinged with sadness by the sudden death of Sue's mum. Thank you all for your flowers, cards and messages of sympathy upon this very sad occasion. God bless. Colin and Sue
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Please note the closing date for sending prayer requests for the April Prayer Diary to daveandave@talktalk.net is Monday, 22nd March.
From The Editor As many of you will know, Roy, the long-term editor of this Newsletter, has been battling cancer for some time. He asked, in the last publication, for a volunteer to take over the production of the Newsletter as it is becoming increasingly more difficult for him. After a short discussion with Ruth, I decided to step up to the plate and take on the role. This Newsletter is too valuable a resource to let it slip away, and Roy has done sterling work with it in the past. You will appreciate that in picking up where Roy has left off I will not be as efficient in producing the Newsletter. It will obviously take me considerably longer. I would, therefore, appreciate it if articles for inclusion are given to me in good time. I would like to take this opportunity to give Roy and Alison my very best wishes You can email me at kenbgc@gmail.com or pass your written articles to Ruth Brabin. Many thanks
Ken Brabin
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On February 13th we welcomed forty wives and friends to our monthly meeting; an amazing turnout on a cold winter evening. Ruth opened the meeting with notices of events including our Musical Evening to be held on Friday 28th February. Tickets have sold well. We look forward to an evening of musical entertainment. Our annual Wives outing was announced and this year we will be visiting St Asaph Tweed Mill and a museum hosting a 1950s exhibition. The date chosen is Monday 27th April and the cost will be £20. A minimum of 20 people will be needed to make the trip viable. Our Wives anniversary service will be held on Sunday 8th March and we look forward to welcoming as many of you that are able to attend. Ruth then introduced our guest speaker, Sue Wood, who gave a talk on “Millinery” and showed us some of her creations. Sue explained that millinery was not her first career choice. She explained that she had trained as a nurse and later as a secretary. Millinery became a hobby and later a career. Her big break came when she exhibited some of her creations at a hat museum in Stockport. Offers of work then arrived, especially creating hats and other theatrical pieces for the theatre. Sue has created items for The Lion King and Phantom of the Opera. She explained that when creating hats for theatrical production they have to be made larger. This is because actors may be wearing a wig and the hat has to accommodate this. Sue then passed around some hats that she had made. These included wedding hats, 1940s style hats and a headdress that Tudor women may have worn. After thanking Sue for her informative and interesting talk we had a break for tea and a chat. During this break Joyce Ratcliffe displayed some original 1920s designs of millinery and ladies outfits that had been drawn by her mother in law. Some of these designs had been printed in The Liverpool Echo. Our next meeting will be on March 12th when we will be welcoming Jean Finney who will give a talk on “The History of Nursery Rhymes” Do join us for what promises to be a fun and enjoyable evening.
Angela
The first meeting in February was well attended, even though I was unable to be there myself. Barbara very kindly led the meeting when Ken Corker gave a talk about MENCAP. We had our biannual Soup Lunch on Tuesday February 18th, this was followed by Rev. Yangsun talking about South Korea. She showed some beautiful pictures of the different seasons, absolutely amazing. £71+ was raised at The Soup Lunch for The MWiB project, Homelessness in Liverpool.
March Dates: March 3rd
Michael Murphy - “Great Parks of Europe”
March 17th
Easter Meditation
March 31st
Easter Service – Calvin Wood
Everyone is welcome to join us. 2-00pm on alternate Tuesdays. God bless, Jean Brookes 16
Dates for Sunday Funday 2020 Dates subject to change due to availability and school holidays
February 9
Start in Church
February 23 March 8
Start in Church
March 22
End in Church for Mothering Sunday
April 5
Messy Church - Easter
April 12
Bacon Butty Easter Breakfast after walk
April 26
Start in Church
May 10
[May Day Bank Holiday] to be confirmed
May 17 June 7
Start in Church
June 21
Fathers' Day
July 5
Start in Church
July 19
Trip Out
Sept 6
Start in Church
Sept 20 Oct 4
Harvest Festival
Oct 18 Nov 1
Start in Church
Nov 8
Remembrance Sunday
Nov 15
Pizza Tea – 4 to 6pm
Dec 6
Toy service
Dec 13
Messy Church with Father Christmas 4 – 6 pm
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Love in a Box – update
Barbara and I went to 'Love in a Box' lunch/meeting and heard that 5,000 boxes were collected by churches in the Wirral. Nationally, an amazing amount of 63,700 boxes were sent to Moldovia and Uganda. This was the first time boxes went to Uganda even though this is not the first time 'Team 4 U' have done work there. Thank you once again for all your support. Keep collecting for next Christmas. God bless. Jean Brookes (coordinator)
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March Charity of the Month is North West Air Ambulance
In total ÂŁ95 was raised for the MWiB
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Mothering Sunday is on 22
nd
March this year.
How many words of 3 letters or more can you make from “Mothering Sunday� Use the letters only once 10 words = good 15 words = very good 20 words = excellent
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Weekly Activities Sunday:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday
Thursday
Morning Worship
10-30 – 11-30
Funday Sunday
10-30 – 11-30
Rainbows
18-00 – 19-00
Guides
19-00 – 20-30
Toddlers [ school term time ]
09-30 – 11-30
Women's Fellowship [ alt. Weeks ]
14-00 – 16-00
Badminton
20-00 – 22-00
Toddlers [ school term time ]
09-30 – 11-30
Brownies
18-00 – 19-30
Pilates not a church run class [ external hirer ]
10-00 – 11-00
Wives & Friends [ Monthly - 2nd Thursday ] 20-00 – 22-00 Friday
Lunch Club [ Joyce Edgar 648 3431 ]
11-00 – 15-00
Country Dancing [ alt weeks Sept – May ]
20-00 – 22-00
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Intercessional Prayers Let us give thanks for Rosemary who celebrated her 90th birthday.
Our thoughts are with: Jean and family. Nigel's funeral was on 3rd February Sue and Colin following the death of Sue's mum. Richard, who is in Arrowe Park Hospital. Roy, now home after being in hospital. Cathie who is expecting an operation. And all others known to us who need our prayers at this time.
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Forthcoming Preachers
March 1
Mrs Beryl Goodall
March 8
Wives and Friends Anniversary, Rev Yangsun Yi
March 15
Mr Andrew Clough
March 22
Rev Vivienne Gasteen (Mothering Sunday)
March 29
Rev Sheila Prest (Communion)
April 5
Rev Heather Cooper
April 9
7.30 pm Maundy Thursday Meal and Service (when we shall be joined by Greasby and West Kirby)
April 10
10.00 am at St Chad's, Good Friday Service
April 12
10.30 am Rev Yangsun Yi, Easter Day Service
April 19
Mr Calvin Wood
April 26
Rev Yangsun Yi United Services
March 1
6.30 pm at Greasby Methodist
April 5
6.30 pm at West Kirby