The magazine of Holy Trinity Parish Church Sutton Coldfield May - June 14
Holy Trinity’s Big Breakfast on Mothering Sunday
Special thanks to the Social Committee and their helpers!
Pageyounger Two of the guests enjoying their breakfast!
From the Editors ...
...to
Trinity
We are fortunate for this edition to have a great mix of articles, from Sutton’s history to a digital update from our resident technologist! Phil Morton provides us with an update on the Lent Study course and on a more sombre note we remember fondly Gladys Pearcey. All this plus our regular features. However, there wouldn’t be a magazine without your contributions, so please do keep them coming. Jean Schneider’s article on page 4, and the book review on page 8, remind us that although we may not be perfect, God works with us and we all have much to offer if we are willing. Perhaps we may all remember this, if we are able, as Christian Aid week approaches. John is urging us to support their work on page 2 - whether by giving, acting or praying.
Contents: John Routh writes
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Through a glass darkly
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New Hall Brass Band
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Gladys Pearcey
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Book Review
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PCC meeting highlights
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Lichfield Cathedral Choir
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History of The Parade
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Lent Study Course
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The Digital Church
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From the registers
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Youth Matters
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Signs seen near church
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Trinity & Bible verse
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Stella 329 2101 s_thebridge@yahoo.com Roger 308 1185 roger.smallwood@btinternet.com Louise 240 6366 louisejharden@hotmail.com
Every blessing, Louise 3
John Routh writes Love your neighbour as you love yourself
'Love your neighbour as you love yourself.' That's what Jesus taught us; and that's what we try to do. A major way we can do it is to support the work of Christian Aid. In a world of extreme differences in material well-being, Christian Aid seeks to improve the lot of those who live in conditions we would find intolerable. Over the years, they have worked steadily to improve the lot of the poorest countries of the world. This year Christian Aid Week is focusing on the plight of those who have fled from their homes to escape war. Here is the story of just one child, Edile, who has fled from fighting in Colombia ‌
Nine-year-old Edile Beite Chaverra lives in Colombia in a humanitarian zone protected by international law. Here he is safe from the armed groups that killed his father.
Edile’s family, like so many others, have fled the horrors of war. Many in his community have lost close relatives and friends to the conflict. All have lost their homes and possessions. All of them are survivors. Around five million people in Colombia have had to leave their homes and Afro-Colombians like Edile are among those most affected by the violence. Christian Aid's partner in Colombia, CIJP, has played a crucial role in setting up humanitarian zones in Colombia. Page
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Humanitarian zones, like Las Camelias where Edile now lives, are demarcated areas offering a safe refuge to people living in areas of conflict. Anyone bearing arms is denied entry to them. When Edile was little, before he moved to Las Camelias, his father was killed. Edile's harrowing drawings reflect his biggest fear: of being attacked by armed groups. In a school, set up by CIJP, the teachers keep a close eye on the psychological wellbeing of Edile and his friends. CIJP provides psychological support to victims of armed conflict, legal support so that victims can get justice, and workshops to educate people about their rights. People feel safe at Las Camelias. It is a space for them to be listened to and heal their emotional scars. Edile’s fears haven’t gone away yet, but he now feels – and is – much safer. He has the space to just be a child again. He says: ‘I am happy here. It is fun, we play ball, I have many friends.’ For the time being Edile and his family are safe, but they are still waiting to return to their land. For a growing number of people across the world, the horror of war is a part of daily life. Right now the numbers of people driven from their homes by war is on the rise. It stands at 42 million people – an appalling statistic, and a stain on the world's conscience. The good news is that, through Christian Aid, we can make a real difference. Christian Aid Week (11–17 May 2014) is almost upon us, and I urge you to support their work – whether by giving, acting or praying. Together we can send people living in fear this message: you are not alone. We’re with you, helping you to rebuild your lives, and working for peace. Imagine what such an expression of love would mean to people searching for the strength to cope with the devastation of war, and how it could help to drive out their fear.
John Routh (drawing on Christian Aid Week materials!)
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Through a Glass Darkly - A SHINING EXAMPLE The story of the development of the early church after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus is truly inspiring. It is like the glory on the mountain top at the Transfiguration of Jesus and we shall see in weeks to come that we cannot stay on the mountain top.
For the moment though the picture is encouraging, like the start of summer after the springtime of Easter. Disciples who, only a few weeks before, were huddling together in terror behind closed doors are now coming out into the streets of Jerusalem, challenging authority and telling the story of the death and resurrection without pulling any punches regarding who was to blame and setting up and baptising groups of believers without any fear for the consequences. The believers themselves are spending their days in prayer and communal life.
The disciples now begin to travel further afield, first to Northern Palestine and then all over the Middle East. They write with authority to young and distant churches and expect their words to be accepted and acted upon. They are now full of confidence and faith.
The idealism of the young church does not last of course as it depends on the co-operation and single-mindedness of fallible beings. Like us, the early Christians fell short of what God expected of them and like his chosen people, the Jews, God’s new chosen people through history have had to be forgiven, put right and set on their way again many times. Page
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God’s plan, though always ongoing, is a work-in-progress – he works with us, his raw materials, accommodating to our imperfections while all the time, if we are willing, bringing us nearer to the vision of his kingdom which those earliest Christians could see so clearly.
As we fall so short though, are we not fortunate that they began so well and that it has been reported and written down for us? I think maybe it is good that we have a record of their failures also. It shows us that we all fail and gives us the courage to go on trying! Jean Schneider
Come and hear a traditional prize winning brass band at Holy Trinity Parish Church! Saturday 10th May 2014 at 7.30pm Derbyshire based award winning brass band - Newhall Band present a medley of well known tunes, culminating in a 'Last Night of the Proms' style finale. Formed in the mid nineteenth century, in the South Derbyshire village of Newhall, the band has a long and distinguished history, regularly achieving success at both local and national level. Under the leadership of Kevin Holdgate (former principal trombone, Grimethorpe Colliery Band) the band has recently won prizes in various local contests, and is rapidly forming a reputation as one of the most entertaining concert bands in the Midlands. Tickets for this event are just £10 for adults, £5 for children or £25 for a family ticket (two adults and up to three children representing excellent value for money!). Tickets are available from the Trinity Centre Office or via our website www.htsc.org.uk
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Gladys Pearcey (1920-2014) A tribute by Stella Thebridge My mother, who died recently just short of her 94th birthday, was known to many in our church, not only because she used to worship with us on visits to our family, but because she moved to Four Oaks in 1994. While she was looking for a bungalow to buy she lived with us and worshipped at Holy Trinity. She joined the Church Fellowship and remained a member until no longer able to make the journey – some 15 years ago or so. At our church she made friends with Molly Howard, Edna Wood and Margaret Glover, and used to go with them to the Philharmonic concerts in the Town Hall. She particularly enjoyed having tea with them all (and returning the invitation!) and was very fond of Margaret Glover with whom she reckoned there had been a work connection before and during the war with my mother in London at the Crown Agents buying goods from Dunlop where Margaret worked! My mother joined the Holy Trinity pilgrimage in 1996, led by John Cooper, to the Holy Land. Here she cemented friendships with a number of the congregation, and never forgot (among much forgetfulness in later years) to mention to Wendy at every hair appointment that they had been to Palestine together! A photo (see inside back cover) from the pilgrimage is shown with my mother in the middle of Wendy one side and Dave’s mother, Rosemary, the other side. Jean Schneider is just visible behind them. Another photo is of my mother with a girl from Talitha Kumi school. Mother sponsored her through a charity called Embrace ME (the Middle East) – formerly the Bible Lands Society – a charity she supported for many years. She managed to fit in a visit over the border to see this young girl during the pilgrimage. The third photo is my mother on her 70th birthday – and as she was when she first moved to Sutton Coldfield. This was used on the cover of the funeral order of service. My thanks to all the members of the congregation who wrote and gave messages of sympathy and who attended the thanksgiving service on 4th March. Page
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Stella Thebridge
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Book Review Old Wives’ Tales by Clare Heath-Whyte A dear friend lent me this fascinating book, that seeks to vividly record the stories of seven unique Christian women from the eighteen century. These women would be mostly unheard of, were it not for their famous husbands who helped lead the Evangelical Revival. Men such as John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield and John Newton. The book provides us with an insight into what it was like to live and work with such dynamic and demanding men. The author highlights the eighteenth century as being one of the most exciting and important of all in terms of church history. As part of the introduction to the book, she sets the scene by describing the immorality that existed in England at the start of the eighteen century and contrasts that with the situation at the start of the nineteenth century. By that time, Evangelicals were becoming influential in all areas of life and lives were changed as the Gospel was more widely preached. You may wonder why the author chose to focus on the women? Most of them were not exceptional. They were ordinary Christian women trying to live for Christ in challenging times. However, the author points out that their lives have much to teach us about following Jesus today. I found it very refreshing that whilst a couple of the woman are inspirational, some are not good examples to follow. The author is honest in her appraisal of their weaknesses; and yet God was able to use these women, with all their faults, to contribute to the changes that took place during the eighteenth century. Page
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The woman that interested me most was Mary Newton, wife of John, the writer of that much loved hymn, “Amazing Grace”. Mary was in many ways, the author tells us, a very ordinary woman. She was not particularly well educated and her health was poor. Yet John Newton’s love for her was a constant throughout his life, and on a number of occasions it was to send him on a different path. John always credited Mary with playing a key role in his conversion well before she became a Christian herself. He missed out on a job managing a Jamaican sugar plantation and was resigned to a life at sea, as he had called in to visit Mary and missed the boat to Jamaica. The ship on which he was almost shipwrecked, which led to John becoming a Christian, was headed back to England so that John could seek Mary’s hand in marriage. In the year’s that followed, John felt called to full time ministry, and his ministry flourished, particularly after the story of his conversion became a runaway bestseller. Mary was a constant support, and was also able to assist with the ministry of William Cowper. Cowper was a committed Christian and brilliant poet, but suffered from severe depression. The book describes how Mary provided constant care, and almost certainly saved his life, enabling Cowper to collaborate with John on the Olney Hymns, a collection that included John’s Amazing Grace. It is therefore possible that this most loved hymn may not have been written had it not been for Mary’s support for both men. John wrote after she died “She was certainly my chief temporal
blessing, and the providential hinge upon which all the temporal events of my life have turned”. Mary’s example encourages us that no matter how ordinary we may be, God can use us. There is much in this book to interest both men and women - I would strongly recommend it.
Louise Chubb 11
Margaret’s memories from the March 2014 PCC meeting • Re-ordering Project - making a holy and welcoming space
for tomorrow •
Fundraising Campaign – A committee ('CEC') has been formed to run the campaign, and a campaign office established. Professional advisors have been appointed, and a campaign manager put in place. We are now almost ready for fundraising to begin. There will be regular updates to the congregation in the weeks ahead.
•
Organ – we discussed a recently received suggestion regarding a way of having a pipe organ, but agreed it was not viable. We reaffirmed our previous decision to have a digital instrument, and having heard demonstrations from short-listed suppliers we agreed this should be sourced from Allen Organs.
• The 2013 accounts were presented and arrangements for the
APCM were finalised. The accounts show a surplus on the main income & expenditure fund and on the new Friends Fund, but a deficit on the Trinity Centre operating fund. The Fabric Fund is well placed to cover the costs of the next Quinquennial Inspection, assuming no major problems are found. The TC Maintenance Fund has been built up to our targeted level. • Communion Assistants – Louise Chubb, Claire Parker, Tanya
Arroba, and Marette & Simon Ambler are to be added to the rota. • Reports were received from the various committees, working
groups and inter-church committees. Essentially, things are running fairly smoothly! • Plans for various services and social events were noted. Details
can be found elsewhere in this publication, on the website, on Facebook or in the weekly notices • Reflection Day Follow-up - since the Reflection Day in 2012 a
group has been working on ideas for several areas of church life identifying a community need we can help to meet; improving our communications/advertising; assessing how we operate and market the Trinity Centre. The group has drawn up an Implementation Plan, which we accepted. Page Margaret Le Brocq – PCC Secretary
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Lichfield Cathedral Boy Choristers Tuesday 18 March 2014 The Friends of Holy Trinity Parish Church were delighted to welcome Lichfield Cathedral choir to the church for an evening of beautiful choral music. The Choral Foundation has been an integral part of Lichfield Cathedral’s life since mediaeval times; 2015 marks its official 700th anniversary. The post of Director of Music at the Cathedral is held jointly by the husband and wife team of Ben and Cathy Lamb; we were particularly privileged to have them with us as that very day they were celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary having been married at Holy Trinity forty years earlier! At the organ was the Cathedral’s Martyn Rawles, who treated us to two solo recitals. The varied programme included pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Britten and Mendelssohn, to name a few. It was particularly special for many members of the congregation to be able to hear the beautiful voices of our very own Ben and James Revell, along with the other boy choristers1. The evening was kindly sponsored by their proud grandparents, Brian and Mary Dixon. After the concert, wine and soft drinks were served by members of the social committee, and choir CDs were on sale. The event generated a surplus of over £1,100 to go towards the building fabric fund. Our thanks go to Nick Revell and all the members of the Friends Committee for organising such a super event. For photos, please see the inside back cover. For details of the next Friends event, please see page 5.
Louise Chubb 1: Piers Derry, Jaimie Ghandi, Finlay Hutt, Alfie Jones, Ben Kelly, Riordan Moore, Alexander Packham, William Packham, Freddie Seaman, Szymon Taylor and Joseph Walker. 17
The Dam becomes The Parade Sutton’s water mill which stood on the site of the old Inn, formerly the Dog Public House, had throughout Medieval times the right to mill all the grain grown in Sutton. A causeway had been built as early as 1100 along the line of the Parade and Lower Parade. Behind it, water from the Ebrook and from the Park, created a large pool on the site of the Gracechurch Centre. Water from this pool fed the mill until 1668, when heavy flood water from Sutton Park swept over the dam and damaged the mill. The pool was drained and the mill converted to the processing of leather. By the beginning of the 1800s, the Dam remained but the mill had gone. A turnpike road was built in 1826 from Manor Hill to the High Street, the dam wall removed, and the new road built above the line of the dam. It soon became known as the Dam by the few families who lived along it. Miss Bracken’s sketch of 1840 shows a building at the junction of Manor Road known as The Old Pie Shop. The chimneys can clearly be seen. Older buildings stood further along Lower Parade, where the Burton’s / Dorothy Perkins shop now stands. These included a very old dwelling,
The Dam, a 1910 Painting based on an earlier drawing Page
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Yew Tree Cottage, and five cottages housing small businesses listed in the 1870 Directory as a shoe maker, a plasterer and a basket maker. Further along the road, The Dog in the Hole Inn offered ‘accommodation and stabling’. The coming of the railway in 1862 brought prosperity to the town, with visitors enjoying Sutton Park and the many small shops opening along The Dam. In 1870, the Museum Public House opened at the bottom of Mill Street and in 1879, the Sutton News commented on a tradesman’s circular giving the address as The Parade and not The Dam. In 1880, M.Taylor announced in the Sutton News that her Millinery, fancy goods and baby linen shop had opened on The Parade. The Tripe House, Photographer, Butcher and Grocer were also listed as being on The Parade. There followed some letters from readers of the Sutton News, but eventually more tradesmen adopted The Parade as their address. The centre of Sutton had now moved, as more shops and businesses opened along The Parade. The old town had always been along High Street, Mill Street and around the Church. It is hard to imagine a thriving community of dwellings and Inns when enjoying the Vesey Gardens, as they are now. Information from research by Roger Lea and Marian Frankling in ‘Scenes from Sutton’s Past’.
Vivien Chubb Note: Picture above is an LMS railway poster c.1928 advertising trips to Sutton Coldfield © National Railway Museum and SSPL
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Lent Study Course 2014 As in previous years, we’ve been running a Group-wide Lent course at the Trinity Centre. Just in case you have not been able to attend, but would like to know what we’ve been doing, this is a brief overview of the course and some of the things that have been discussed. This year we’ve been using the York Course again, and the title of the course is “Build on the Rock: Faith, Doubt – and Jesus”. The main theme of the course is to try and help us to explore what it means for Christians to encounter doubts about their faith, and how we can come to terms with some of the harder aspects of our beliefs. The contributors to the course come from varied backgrounds, which has helped to provide a number of different points of view. It’s also very helpful to hear from ‘professional’ believers about their own doubts, and what it means to them to describe themselves as people of faith. One of the interesting things that came out of the group discussions is how faith cannot really exist without doubt – in other words, if we are absolutely certain about our beliefs, then that isn’t really faith. Having faith means to believe in something even when we cannot be totally sure about it. Each of the sessions takes us through some questions to which the contributors provide their own answers. The small group discussions then encourage us to think about the session’s themes by reading some relevant passages of Scripture, and providing some thoughts and reflections from notable Christians (and others) in the booklets. I hope that this course has been an opportunity for people to share their faith with people from the other churches in the Group, and to think a little bit more about what it means to be a Christian. The session titles have taken us on a journey from thinking about Jesus as a teacher, to thinking about Jesus as the Saviour of the world and the conqueror of death. These are quite ‘meaty’ subjects, so there has been plenty to talk about! This is only a very brief glimpse into what we’ve covered in the course, so if you would like to know more I’d be very happy to have a chat over coffee after a service sometime.
Phil Morton 21
The Digital Church The word ‘Digital’ is the latest buzz word to hit the business world. Lots of companies, especially the ones we all regularly interact with, want to be seen as ‘Digital’, but what does it actually mean? Digital is about engaging with your customers, on their chosen medium, at a time of their choosing, to provide them with the information they require or need. In this way, the consumer has the power. For an example, think of Sainsbury’s. I can order my groceries on an iPad, receive text updates on my delivery and review email offers on my smart phone. The digital agenda and the ubiquity of new intelligent devices from smart phones to smart TVs (and the soon to be smart homes), means that there is a wealth of information available, but as the consumer I chose what information I want to receive, and I expect it to be pushed to me at my convenience, when and how I want. So what does all this have to do with Church? To me, Digital = Mission. How can we at Holy Trinity get the good news out to the congregation and the wider community on a platform of their choosing, and at a time that is convenient. It is no longer good enough to simply say ‘come along on Sunday at 8am or 10am to hear a sermon’.
As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.” But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, “How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!” Romans 10:13-15 That is why we have been recording sermons and uploading them to our website and Facebook page for the past 2 years. You may be interested to know that our weekly reach via our Facebook page is approximately 250 people. For the website, where we have a weekly blog, sermons, Friends updates, frequently asked questions, baptism and wedding information, it is 175 people, who spend an average of at least 10 minutes viewing the site. We also have Twitter. Our latest ‘Digital’ method is to put this magazine itself online. Page
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Doing this does not mean that any of the Mission and reach programmes are any less important, they are all equally valid and we still need to do more. Perhaps a live webcast one of our services? I like to think that if there was a second coming, Jesus would use Facebook to organise his next sermon on the mount and broadcast it via youtube. Whilst the original sermon attracted “great crowds”, this time round He could reach 5billion.
Chris Chubb
FROM THE REGISTERS ... Baptisms 16th February - James David Etheridge and Martha Louise Burton 16th March - Betsy Mae Morden
We welcome these children into new life with God, as part of our church family. Marriages 23rd March - Mark Meredith & Jenna Lawrence 29th March - Francis Okoro & Lauren Fisher
We wish these couples every blessing in their future together. Funerals 4th March - Paul Wilson Round 5th March - Brian Merlin Wallwork 18th March - Barbara Carroll 19th March Edward Cecil Lloyd 1st April - John Slater
We remember all who have died and ask for God’s comfort to sustain all who are bereaved. 23
YOUTH MATTERS Like lots of you, I often end up sitting in the same place every time I go to church. In one of our three churches someone has done some carving in ‘my’ place. In the wood someone has carved the words ‘RIP me.’ Obviously someone was a little bored! It reminds me of the story about a little girl who was taken to church by her Grandma. As they sat in the pew waiting for the service to begin, the little girl was looking about. She spotted the memorial board for those who lost their lives in the Great War and nudged her Grandma saying “What’s that board?” Grandma replied “It’s the names of those who died in the services.” The little girl was quiet for a few minutes and then asked “Was it the morning or the evening service?” Out of the mouths of babes, etc. Some of us may have a sneaking empathy for that little girl and no doubt we will all have our own opinions on what constitutes a service being boring. What is it for you? Maybe you get bored if you don’t know or like the hymns. Maybe you don’t like long sermons or someone’s style of preaching. Maybe you don’t like ‘All Age’ services and keep away on those days. Maybe you don’t like the people leading the worship. Maybe you can’t concentrate for very long so lose interest. I am sure you can think of more! So there are lots of reasons we may be bored and I expect we are all self proclaimed experts on what should be done differently. It isn’t easy though as what appeals to one person may not appeal to others. The other thing, of course, is that God IS there, whether the service is boring or not, and there is a challenge to each of us to try and see where he is, even when the service is not making it easy! IF the services ARE boring/ done badly then that is definitely down to humans somewhere along the line, historically or otherwise. God, himself, is NOT boring!
Susie Walker Page
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Signs seen near church The following are actual signs found on church property. •
"Free Trip to heaven. Details Inside!"
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"Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin-Robbins."
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"Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!"
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When the restaurant next to the Lutheran Church put out a big sign with red letters that said, "Open Sundays," the church reciprocated with its own message: "We are open on Sundays, too."
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"Have trouble sleeping? We have sermons-come hear one!"
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A singing group called "The Resurrection" was scheduled to sing at a church. When snowstorm postponed the performance, the rector fixed the outside sign to read, "The Resurrection is postponed."
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"God so loved the world that He did not send a committee."
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"Come in and pray today. Beat the Christmas rush!"
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"When down in the mouth, remember Jonah. He came out alright."
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"How will you spend eternity-Smoking or Non-smoking?"
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"Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives"
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"Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world."
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"Our arms are the only ones God has to hug His children."
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""If you're headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns."
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""This is a ch_ _ ch. What is missing?" (U R)
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"Forbidden fruit creates many jams."
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"In the dark? Follow the Son."
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"If you can't sleep, don't count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd."
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Trinity Arrangements for 2014 The cost per issue is 60p, and an annual subscription £3-50. If you are a casual reader who would like to subscribe regularly or advertise, or if you have any other queries relating to the magazine, please contact the Trinity Centre in the first instance on 321 1144 or admin@htsc.org.uk
Publication schedule Cover date
Copy deadline
Publication date
Jul/Aug 2014
8th June
22nd June
Sep/Oct 2014
10th August
24th August
Nov/Dec 2014
5th October
19th October
Jan/Feb 2015
30th November 2014
14th December
Please submit material for the next issue by the deadline above to : Stella Thebridge email: s_thebridge@yahoo.com Written text: Please leave in the “Magazine” pigeon-hole in church OR in the Trinity Centre office. Contributions on any topic or photographs are always welcome. A page contains about 400 words.
Bible verse for this issue “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. “ Ephesians 2:8-9
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Gladys with Frieda at Talitha Kumi School
Gladys Pearcey
Holy Trinity Pilgrimage 1996 Gladys with Wendy and Rosemary
Lichfield Cathedral Choir at the latest Friends event (see page 17 for details).
Photo taken by Chris Chubb on Cannock Chase
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