The Rock
Magazine for the Parish of Tettenhall Regis
october 2014
Sunday ServiceS at St. Michael’S 8am 10.30am 6.30pm
Holy Communion (last Sunday 1662) Parish Communion Evensong
Sunday ServiceS at chriSt the King 9am 10am 10am 6.30pm
(1st only) Holy Communion (1st only) Family Service – no Communion Family Eucharist (3rd) Healing Service
Sunday ServiceS at St. Paul’S
10.30am
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
8.30am 9.15am 8.30am 9.30am 10.30am 8.30am
Worship together with Holy Communion Children’s groups most weeks.
WeeKday ServiceS
Morning prayer at St. Michael’s Eucharist at St. Michael’s Morning prayer at Christ the King Eucharist at Christ the King Eucharist at St. Michael’s Morning prayer at St. Michael’s
The parish online
St Michael’s:
www.stmichaels-church.org.uk www.facebook.com/stmichaelstettenhall
St Paul’s:
saintpaulspendeford.wordpress.com
Messy Church:
www.facebook.com/messychurchtettenhallregis 2
For better for worse One of the joys of ministry is being able to be with couples on their wedding day – to perform their marriage ceremony and through the summer I and my colleagues have had that privilege on several occasions at St Michael’s (and Christ the King).
Like any marriage relationship there are things to sort out, as we get to know one another, there will be new expectations and demands, ways of managing the budget, shared interests and different ones, friends on both sides, particular ways of looking at things.
The two shall become one flesh, is the way Jesus put it.
We are at present in the process of seeking to appoint a new Team Vicar with interviews for the post on 4 November. Holy Cross has been waiting for a long time but in Tettenhall Regis we have only just had that lovely farewell for Liz Rathbone so by the standards of the Church of England we are moving quite rapidly.
Perhaps I’m going too far with the analogy but you could say that the Parish of Holy Cross Bilbrook is engaged to the Parish of Tettenhall Regis and the two are about to become one Parish. We are as it were at the stage of having the banns read, with a formal consultation, before the knot is tied.
Change is afoot, and provided no one
I for one have enjoyed getting to know the people of the Parish of Bilbrook and working with them. I think both Parishes have something to bring to the marriage and that we will be better together as we share in our work of serving our communities in the name of Christ and making the good news of the gospel known.
have a new Parish with a team of four churches. Do pray that the marriage would be a fruitful, creative and happy one in the service of Christ. Richard Reeve
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Life at Christ the King I am sure that Liz will have passed on her own thanks for what was a truly inspiring last service day at Christ the King. A family service at 10:00am where 4 children were baptised, a packed church, a great celebration. Followed by Songs of Praise at 4:00pm and an opportunity for the parish to share in an appreciation of Liz’s contribution to both church and parish over the last 11 years.
We recently had the sermon of everybody, somebody, nobody and anybody, what a time to take that to heart. I write this with Christ the King in mind but honestly, with or without a vicar in place, it is relevant to every church. This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Liz was overwhelmed by the gifts presented to her, in particular of those personal touches of flowers, inscribed drawing of Christ the King, a Grayson Perry book and the rose (Liz always liked it) dug up out of the church garden.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.
As a church and parish we all wish Liz and Anthony a happy and blessed retirement.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it,
On October 19th we dedicate the day to celebrating all those who volunteer their time and energy to our church. The day is close to the date when the church
but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
have recognised the gift of our building and the opportunities it provides in reaching out to the community. This year we celebrate the people who make all this possible, the faithful volunteers.
Finally a date for the diary, Friday November 7th 7:30pm start Quiz and Chips
Entering a period of interregnum has
£5 per person (£2.50 no food option)
great opportunities for growth, a time when everybody has a role to play. The parish team is an important asset in maintaining our worship, and we are grateful for that support, but everyone has the job of making sure that no one or no action is forgotten during this time.
To book in please ring 01902 831135 or email khwhitehouse@hotmail.com Keith Whitehouse
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St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Tettenhall Invites you to a series of four talks on
Christian Spirituality Each talk will be preceded by a hot sit-down meal, from 7.00-9.30 p.m. in the Newman Centre, Haywood Drive, WV6 8RF on four successive Wednesdays: 15 October
Sister Francisca, Prioress of the Arkley Poor Clares in Barnet
22 October
Brother Anthony, from the C of E Benedictine Community of Mucknell Abbey
29 October
Margaret Silf, an author and lecturer on Ignatian spirituality
5 November
Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham Cost per evening ÂŁ6 To obtain a booking form, contact
Linda (becket.email@btinternet.com / 01902-751025) or Erik (erik@pearse227.eclipse.co.uk /01902-750440)
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Phil Clayton rambles through history
an illustrated talk at St. Paul’s Church, Pendeford, on Friday, 17 th October at 7.30 pm
All Welcome Free entry
Tea and biscuits provided 6
Stewardship with the Sunday School, the Encounter group (our future communicants) and the Youth Group. It needs counters to look after the collecton, count it and pay it into the bank. Can you count?
Good stewardship is taking care of the the things that matter so that future generations may enjoy them. Are we good stewards at St. Michael’s? We struggle all the time to pay our Parish Share, which in turn pays for our clergy. Some people give a tithe, ie 10%
It needs choristers to assist the organist wek. Can you sing?
others give very little. A church that has served Tettenhall for a thousand years is now struggling to provide a “warm” and welcoming building.
There are many jobs that need doing to keep the church open and inviting to all ages. Can you help? If you would like to be a good steward, speak to the clergy - use your talents.
However, the church also needs volunteers to keep the church vibrant and working well for all ageds. It needs help
Barbara Gollings
Bible Class The Bible Class was formed about 30
and ideas. We have a coffee break when we put the world to rights!
courses had been held in the Parish. Some people who had attended these courses wanted to carry on studying the Bible and join with the discussions which followed, and so a group was organised. The meetings were held in various homes of the group, fortnightly, on Friday mornings at 10am. This we still do today, except we now meet in Church Cottage,which became available some time ago. The meeting takes place in the downstairs room, complete with the church library. very convenient for a source of information
of Ecclesiastes and in spite of the Philosopher’s outlook that fLife is meaningless1, he doesn’t deny God’s existence, ‘for all good things come from Him.’ We also read The Book of Obadiah which is one chapter long and concerns the fall of Jerusalem and the punishment that will befall their enemies. This book resonates with the state of affairs in the Middle East today.. Mary Sims 7
Poet’s Corner: Tettenhall Poems Geoff Hopkins came across these two poems about Tettenhall. Sweet peaceful Place, whose rural charms invite The Stranger’s Eye and strike him with delight; What modest Looks adorn thy artless Scene, Thy Grove how lovely, and how gay thy Green. Here genial Zephyr spreads his healthful wing, Here chaunt the earliest Warblers of the Spring; Here Contemplation surely builds her Cell, And calm Content and learned Leisure dwell. Tettenhall, thy still engaging Scenes conspire To wake the Sage’s or the Poet’s fire. From noisy Towns with worldly Cares replete, To ease the Mind, lo! This the choice retreat. Here Hampton’s Sons in vacant Hours repair, Taste rural Joys and breathe a purer Air.
W. Fernyhough 20th December 1789.
The Decades pass, now grows the Traffic’s Roar, And Houses stand where Meadows were before. Declining years on freehold Plots are spent, With Mortgages obtained at x per cent.
F. Mason
20th July 1979
Both poems are time capsules. For W. Fernyhough, Tettenhall is still a country retreat, a place for contentment and leisure, a place to think and write, almost a health spa. It is an idealised picture, deliberately ignoring the industry and clamour of nearby Wolverhampton, airbrushing out the life of the poor.
houses with their extensive grounds were knocked down to make way for a twentieth century demand for housing and out-of-town living. The poems also reflect how the style of poetry has changed. Although the eighteenth century was the time of the great satirists like Swift and Pope, it was also possible for poets like Mr Fernyhough to write in this pastoral style, addressing the spirit of the place and in doing so to employ a florid style of writing. If you try reading it aloud,
The second poem shows us how town has encroached on this country developments. You only have to walk around the village to see where the big 8
it’s hard to take it seriously today. The language is high-falutin’ : the pleasant west wind, is a ‘genial Zephyr’; the
Poets today tend to use everyday language, the tone tends to be more like conversation, and even if they use rhyme, it tends to be more subtle.
Warblers’ who ‘chaunt’ and as words inevitably change their meaning over time, we couldn’t talk about the Green being these days.
Although fashions in poetry change, poets have always liked to write about where they live – which made me wonder, how we would write about Tettenhall, Aldersley, Pendeford and Bilbrook today. Would we write satirically, or would we write in praise of our communities?
By 1979, F Mason, (who was a contemporary of Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney), follows the pattern of rhyme and metre of his Georgian predecessor, but is able to make us smile with his rueful parody and clever comments on times changing.
If you are inspired to capture our parish in poetry, please send your verses to The Rock… Jane Seabourne
the rocK needS you! the magazine has been in its new format for almost a year now and it needs your input. We need budding journalists, to report on events that are happening within the churches and in the wider parish community. We need life stories from people within the churches, of how your faith has been challenged or is growing. been involved in. Beyond all that, however, we need people to coordinate, organise, edit, publish, print, promote and distribute the magazine. the next meeting of the rock review group will be on thursday 6th november, 7.30pm at church cottage. If we want to continue producing a parish magazine, then we require a fresh influx of volunteers from across all of the churches. For further information, please contact the group, via therock@ tettenhallregis.com or call me on 01902 741028. Simon Douglas 9
Wolverhampton World Poverty Action
Inequality and Poverty in the UK and abroad A presentation by Oxfam with responses from local politicians Campaign with Oxfam at: www.oxfam.org.uk/breadline
Image C Church Action on Poverty, Oxfam, Trussell Trust
Friday 17th October 2014 7.30 pm Lea Road Community Church WV3 0LR All Welcome
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Free entry
Refreshments
Connect A day of encouragement, ideas and inspiration for connecting with your local school—celebrating the opportunities churches have to serve and develop connections with schools.
18th October 2014 Sir Graham Balfour School, Stafford, ST16 1NJ For more information Please contact: Libby Leech, Diocesan Adviser for Schools Outreach, 07891 290564
A new inititive from the diocese. Check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pray.bake.read
To book, please contact: Richard Barrett, 01922 707863,
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Wolves Outplayed Matters got little better following the break when after only two minutes of the restart Ikeme was again at full stretch this time
Wednesday, 1 October 2014 The last time Wolves played host to
Three minutes later the Wolves goalkeeper was at full stretch again the only problem being that this time the ball sailed passed him and into the net, the right boot of Connor Coady - some 25 yards away- being the source from whence it had sprung. It was as good a strike as we are likely to see this season and to all intents and purpose it
2013. On that particular day they lost 3-1 and were in disarray needing a miracle to spare them the trapdoor to third division obscurity. Mercifully those headless chicken days have long since past but as performances go this was one to forget. Outplayed and outmuscled by their Yorkshire opponents, the reality of life in the Championship has suddenly arrived.
Wolves did manage some salvation when in the 70th minute Bakary Sako scored a consolation goal, but for most of the half they looked disjointed. Manager Jackett has a few things to ponder. 4-3-3? Introducing a new signing (Sagbo) immediately into a game? Dropping Dave Edwards?
Not that you would have thought that during the opening twenty minutes where the now familiar passing game produced a from Sam Ricketts and then an opening for Nouha Dicko which he snatched allowing keeper Alex Smithies to make a
The honeymoon has ended.
foray into opposition territory Jonathan Hogg outmuscled Richard Stearman in the right channel. Whilst the latter bleated for
Wolves: Ikeme 6, Ricketts 6, Batth 5, Stearman 5, Golbourne 6, Henry 5 Sub Clarke, Evans 5 Sub Rowe 6, MacDonald 6, Sako 6, Sagbo 5 Sub La Parra, Dicko 6
the box where it was met by Harry Bunn
Smithies 6, Smith 6, Hudson 7, Lynch 6, Robinson 7, Coady 7,
Thereafter the control that has been so evident in Wolves’ play to date, evaporated, as they struggled to adapt to a new 4-33 formation. In the 37th minute Kevin MacDonald found himself outnumbered and having lost possession Hogg was allowed to advance before letting fly with
Sub Wallace, Holt 6 Sub Stead, Bunn 7 19,059 Referee: Phil Gibbs 8 Mark Brennand Mark is chair of governors of St. Michael’s School
minutes later inept Wolves’ defending saw the ball fall to Sean Scannell whose powerful strike was deflected passed Ikeme and into the net. The League’s most frugal defence was suddenly leaking goals.
(available from http:// youneverplayedthegame.svbtle.com/wolvesoutplayed)
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Games Night skittles jenga darts table football
6.30 for 7, ‘til 9pm Friday 31 st October at St Paul’s Tuck shop Bring your own drinks 13
Parish Calendar for October 2014 Sunday 5 October
Sixteenth Sunday aFter trinity Isaiah 5.1-7, Psalm 80.9-17, Philippians 3.4b-14, Matthew 21.33-46
Friday 10 - Sunday 12
Harvest Praise, Christ the King 10.30am – Harvest Festival, St. Michael & All Angels 6.30pm – Harvest Songs of Praise, St. Michael & All Angels 7.30pm – Encounter, The Oasis Café – Encounter Residential, Dovedale House
Sunday 12 October
Seventeenth Sunday aFter trinity
10.00am –
Wednesday 8 October
Isaiah 25.1-9, Psalm 23, Philippians 4.1-9, Matthew 22.1-14 Tuesday 14 October Friday 17 October
Sunday 19 October
Harvest Festival, Sunrise Senior Living (all welcome) 7.30pm – Youth Space - Fundraising Ideas, Youth Room, Church 6.45pm –
Cottage
eighteenth Sunday aFter trinity Isaiah 45.1-7, Psalm 96.1-13, 1 Thessalonians 1.1-10, Matthew 22.15-2
PCC Meeting, St. Michael & All Angels 10.15am – Selwyn Lecture: “Traditioned Innovation” 6.30pm –
Monday 20 October
Monday 21 October
Sunday 26 October
Cathedral. Given by Revd Dr Jo Bailey Wells, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury. All welcome.
7.30pm – Cottage
Big Welcome/60th Anniversary planning, Church
laSt Sunday aFter trinity Leviticus 19.1-2,15-18, Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2.1-8, Matthew 22.34-46
Monday 27 October Sunday 2 November
10.00am –
St. Michael’s Pastoral Committee, Church Cottage
all SaintS Sunday Revelation 7.9-17, Psalm 34.1-10, 1 John 3.1-3, Matthew 5.1-12
Parish Memorial Service, St. Michael & All Angels 8pm – St. Michael’s Youth Committee, 11 Harwin Close – Magazine Copy Deadline, to therock@tettenhallregis.com 6.30pm –
Thursday 25 September Monday 27 October
Upcoming events Thursday 6 November Friday 7 November
The Rock review group, Church Cottage 7:30pm – Quiz and Chips, Christ the King (for more information, 7.30pm –
contact Keith: 01902 831135 or khwhitehouse@hotmail.com)
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From the registers… It is a wonderful privilege to share in the special occasion of baptisms and weddings in our churches. If you have photos from the event, we would love to include them in the magazine or on our webiste. Send them to therock@tettenhallregis.com or share them on our Facebook page.
Baptisms S T. MIC H A E L’S 21
Annabel Woolridge
Weddings S T. MIC H A E L’S 6
David Parr & Anna Gajos Richard Gibson & April Lovatt Craig Bottley & Lisa Morris
20
Andrew Deakin & Katy Banks
27
Stephen Wheeler & Liza Garcia
Funerals S T. MIC H A E L’S 1
Diane Gamble
8
Peggy Mansell
18
David Hespley Marion Beckett
26
Vera Green
BUSH BU RY C RE M ATo RIU M 5
Joan Holmes
22
Martin Smith
23
Roger Hardware
15
PariSh inForMation PARISH oFFICE, Church Cottage, Church Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 9AJ tettenhallregis@gmail.com |
CLERgY Rev’d. Richard Reeve . . . . . . . . . . . 742801 Rev’d. Jim Perry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562133 Rev’d. Patrick Bryan . . . . . . . . . . . . 689550 Rev’d. Ruth Brooker . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399644
Rev’d. Simon Douglas . . . . . . . . . . 741028 Rev’d. Allen Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765741 Rev’d. Jack Lloyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765612
READERS Mrs. Stella Salt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764887 Mr. John Vickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651790 Mrs. Dot Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780920 Mr. Keith Whitehouse . . . . . . . . . . 831135
Mr. Peter Rowley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751762 Mrs. Christine May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397031 Mr. Marcus Woodhouse . . . . . . . 759379
PARISH WARDEnS Mr. Cyril Randles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758797
Mrs. Dawn Parsons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822390
ST. MICHAEL DISTRICT WARDEnS Mrs. Roberta Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751444
Mrs. Paula Timmins. . . . . 07782 512013
CHRIST THE KIng DISTRICT WARDEnS Mr. Ivor Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753960 ST. PAUL DISTRICT WARDEnS Mr. Eddie Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829040
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753433
Mrs. Joan Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785844
MAgAzInE ConTACTS St. Paul’s Mrs. Sue Ellick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578822 Christ the King St. Michael’s Subscription & Distribution
Mr. Martin Bristow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 833411 CurrENTly vACANT Mrs. Elaine Dovydatis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757775
The november edition of the Rock will be available on Sunday 2nd November. All contributions by Monday 27th October to therock@tettenhallregis.com The views and opinions in the magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the clergy, editor or PCC. The electronic version of the magazine is sent via email 12 times a year, at no cost. To subscribe go to: http://stmichaels-church.org.uk/rock/ A paper copy is available, costing £3 a year for 12 copies. Speak to one of the contacts.