CENTRAL CHURCH DOVERCOURT

NEWS AND EVENTS

JUNIOR CHURCH AND PILOT NEWS

 It has been a busy few months with our young people and the results of some of this have been seen by yourselves at the Toy Service.  Toynbee Hall were as usual extremely grateful for our gifts that were delivered directly by myself on Saturday 16th. December to their premises.  (No problems once we found the building!)  There is a further letter in this edition from Toynbee Hall.
 
Pilots is busy each week working through the Peace Builders material that has been produced by a collective of the URC, Methodist and churches of India .  Some interesting discussions and work has come out of this which we hope to share with you during Pilot Service in April.
 
The Officers are now planning to join Pilots from all over the country at the Pilot event in Longleat.  This will prove to be quiet expensive, but we are hopeful of being able to have a small mini-bus go. Thanks to the charity coffee morning in November who raised £44.54 which we will put towards the transport costs which are estimated at £350.
 
The Leadership Team arranged a lunch with our older Pilots on the 12th. January, unfortunately only one Pilot was able to attend but this was a productive lunch and has led to further events planned.  The discussions led us into thinking about how our young people are involved within the church family and expanding this.  The Leadership Team began this due to looking towards the 'Child Friendly Church Award' that is now available, however Dovercourt Central has some way to go to be able to make the application.  A further supper is planned for the older Pilots to join the Leadership Team for discussion and listening.
 
Margaret Smith
Young People's Co-Ordinator  

MESSY CHURCH

Messy Church is a once-monthly time when families come together to enjoy being together, making things together, eating together and celebrating God together through his word, through music and through prayer.

With Messy Church we are trying to be a worshipping community of all ages, centred on Christ, showing Christian hospitality—giving people a chance to express their creativity, to sit down together to eat a meal and have fun within a church context.

Principles:

To provide an opportunity for people of all ages to worship together.

Help people of all ages to feel that they belong in church and to each other.

To help people have fun together.

To give people a chance to express their God-given creativity.

To invite people into an experience of Christian community.

To introduce people to Jesus through hospitality, friendship, stories and worship.

Our last session of Messy Church on 19th February 2008 began at 4.30pm .  There were different crafts for people to participate in.  The theme for the evening was “The Good Shepherd”; so all the craft was related to this.  There was some really good efforts on the different craft tables.  Then the Rev’d. Marc Kenton from Needham Market led a session for about 10 minutes on this theme in the Church.  There

 was plenty of interaction with the children and adults, we all became sheep with our “baas”. This was followed by a simple prayer.  This session finished with the Messy Grace.

After this we had the meal prepared by Hazel which was “Shepherds Pie” to continue with the theme. There were also different desserts.  Parents and children and helpers were invited to the meal.

The whole session finished about 6.30pm .  

 MESSY GRACE  

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (Hold out your hands as if expecting a present)

 And the love of God (Put your hands on your heart)

 And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (Hold hands)

 Be with us all now and for ever. Amen! (Raise hands together on the word ‘Amen’)

 Please remember  “ Messy Church ” in your prayers that we may be able to encourage young families to come along.

 You are most welcome to join in any of the Messy Church sessions.  The next one is Tuesday 18th March 2008 .

  YORK MINSTER GOOD FRIDAY PASSION PLAY COMES TO HARWICH

Riding Lights Theatre Company is invited each year to perform a passion play as the centrepiece of the Good Friday service at York Minster.  This occasion, at the heart of the preparation for Easter, has provided a moving combination of powerful theatre, meditation, prayer and corporate worship.  Following the huge success of the passion plays in recent years a new play has been commissioned for 2008—Redemption Song by Les Ellison.

 The play starts and ends at the cross.  As the drama unfolds, the song Christ sings rises above the various discordant reactions to his presence.  Full of vividly drawn characters from the gospels, the play gives many illuminating insights which take us under the skin of the Passion story.  No one will walk away untouched by an encounter with the one Life which constantly provokes the question “Who do you say that I am?”  

The script of “Redemption Song” creates space for worship, music and reflection arising directly out of the drama.  The whole presentation becomes a powerful act of remembrance,

 Churches Together is proud to invite you to this Passion Play locally as they have booked the Riding Lights Theatre Company. “Redemption Song”  will be performed by the company at St Nicholas’ Church in Harwich on Tuesday 18th March, only three days before the company will present the Passion Play at York Minster on Good Friday.  

This is not a fundraising event, but in order to cover the costs we need to sell tickets.

Redemption Song—Passion Play by Riding Lights Theatre Company

Tuesday 18th March at 7.30pm (Tuesday in Holy Week)

At St Nicholas’ Church, Harwich

Organised by Churches Together in the Harwich Peninsula

Tickets: £5 per person, 50% reduction for teenagers 13-18,  family tickets (2adults 3children aged 12 or younger) £11.

Tickets available from Rev. Ian Wales.  

  Trinity Methodist Church , Pier Avenue , Clacton-on-Sea are opening a Christian Bookshop approximately the second week in April. Mon-Fri 9.30-12.30 & 12.30-4.00pm Sat 9.30-1.00pm They are looking for volunteers to man the shop on a rota basis, morning/afternoon sessions or Sat sessions. Please ring Liz Marshall on 01255 815325 or write to Elizabeth Marshall, Trinity Methodist Church, Pier Avenue, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1 NJ o  

TOYNBEE HALL

A BIG FESTIVE THANK YOU!

Achievements from the Gift Appeal 2007

The Gift Appeal 2007 has been the most

successful yet! Companies, schools, churches

and individuals donated over 6,000 gifts to an

estimated value of an astounding £90,000! In

the short space of two days (17th & 18th

December), 160 volunteers selected and

packed up these gifts for families and older

people in London ’s East End . With your support,

over 3500 young people and 700 older people

were reached who may not otherwise have

received presents during the festive season.

About the Gift Appeal

Toynbee Hall’s annual gift appeal

collects and distributes toys, presents

and clothes to hundreds of families and

individuals most in need in the East End

of London at what can be a very difficult

and stressful time of year. Not only does

this benefit children and older people

who may not receive any gifts, but also

parents and grandparents who may not

otherwise be able to give a present to

their children and grandchildren.

About Toynbee Hall

Toynbee Hall produces practical, innovative

programmes for young people and families,

adults, and older people, to meet the needs of

local people, improve conditions and enable

communities to fulfil their potential.

The organisation makes a difference by

producing local programmes that have the power

to become national solutions, with a constant and

ongoing commitment to the development of social

policy and networks for positive change.

 Visit www.toynbeehall.org.uk

Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street , London E1 6LS

Tel 020 7392 2928 · Fax 020 7377 5964 · Email [email protected]

Registered Charity Number 211850. A company limited by guarantee. Registered Office as shown. Registered Number 20080 England .

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY…………………….

 March 2nd      10.45am HC Rev. K Martin.

                           3.45pm Rev. R Gooch at Alexandra House.

March 5th          7.30pm Lent Service Kingsway Evangelical                                                                              Church.

March 6th       11.00am Bible Study at Ramsey Methodist                                                                                 Church.

March 7th          9.30am Pause for thought in the church.

                         10.00am Coffee morning in the hall.

                           2.00pm Women’s World Day of Prayer in  the Church.

March 9th       10.45am Mr M Carter-Tufnell.

                         Church Lunch

                           3.45pm Rev. K Jackson at Alexandra                                                                                         House.

March 12th        7.30pm Lent Service at St Nicholas’  Church, Harwich.

March 13th     10.00am Keep Fit on chairs in the hall.

                        11.00am Bible Study at Ramsey Methodist                                                                                  Church.

March 14th       9.30am Pause for thought in the Church.

                        10.00am Coffee morning in the hall.

March 16th       9.00am HC Rev Wales.

                        10.45am Rev. A Potter.

                          3.00pm Wix Walk.

                          3.45pm   Rev. J Robinson at Alexandra                                                                                        House.

March 17th     Passover Supper at St Nicholas’ Church.

March 18th       4.30pm Messy Church.

                          7.30pm Redemption Song at St Nicholas Church, Harwich.

March 21st       NO PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

                          9.15am Walk of Witness from Park.

                          9.45am Open Air Worship at Church.

                        10.00am Coffee morning in the hall.

                          2.00pm Good Friday Service at Upper

                                                Dovercourt Methodist Church .

March 23rd      9.00am HC Breakfast Service Rev. I Wales .

                        10.45am Easter Day Worship—the  Worship Group.

                          3.45pm HC Rev. K Jackson at Alexandra  House.

March 28th       9.30am Pause for thought in the Church.

                        10.00am Coffee morning in the hall.

March 29th       9.30-12.00 Table Top Sale .

March 30th     10.45am Rev. R Mortimer.

                          3.45pm Rev I Wales at Alexandra House.

April 13th        Church Lunch.

April 15th          4.30pm Messy Church.

May 11th        Church Lunch.

                        United Christian Aid Service (to be confirmed)

May 20th          4.30pm Messy Church.

 Pilots meet  every Friday evening at 6.00pm during term time. Crusaders meet every Wednesday evening at 6.00pm during term time.  

SEE CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR REGULAR SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES AT CENTRAL CHURCH and

ORDINATION OF ELDER

On Sunday 4th November Miss Helen Smith was ordained Elder and inducted to serve on the Church Leadership Team.  The Minister, the Revd Ian Wales, and the Revd Colin Knight, shared the service together.  

Present left to right:  Mrs Iris Hatch, Church Secretary, Colin Knight (URC), Helen Smith, Ian Wales (Methodist Minister) , Margaret Smith and Christine Jarrett, Elders.

  Report from Eastern URC Synod Saturday 13^th October 2007

The Health & Healing Ministry:  Reverend Mary Irish gave a presentation (that I am in the process of obtaining) talking about her work for the last 10 years at Addenbrooke Hospital in the health and healing ministry.  

This was extremely interesting and could be considered within our own community.  

Vision 4 Life (transforming the church:  A new venture following on from ‘catching the vision’.  

During February and September 2008 churches are being asked to organise a series of study discussions on 4 areas of church life:

1. How Bible
2. How Prayer
3. Faith Story
4. Big picture of decline & the local story (ours)

There will be events organised at the Windermere Centre supporting this project.  

Also there will be themes for the next 3 years to be launched at the start of Advent each year as follows:

·        Advent 2008  ‘Bible’

·        Advent 2009  ‘Prayer’

·        Advent 2010  ‘Evangelism’  

Menu of possibilities and ideas will be available during the summer period prior to each year.  

Guests from the URC partnership with Zimbabwe :  the Synod welcomed 2 visitors from Zimbabwe , although it had been planned for 7 guests to visit England the government refused visa’s for the other 5 persons.  

Norah and Wilbert gave us a taste of life in Zimbabwe at this present time – inflation running at 700%, unemployment at 85% and starvation.  Wilbert gave his impressions of the differences between the two countries and explained that three things struck him:

·        The Synod Representatives were all ‘White’

·        The URC has many resources

·        Financial gap between us.  

Having clearly stated the differences Wilbert went on to explain how he believed the partnership would work and he related this to a marriage built on love, trust, honesty and faith.  

Norah told us about the lives of women in this country and the hardships they faced.  

Our guests also were asked to give a description of their church and one got the impression that the Zimbabwe ’s Christians are a very demonstrative during their services and meetings with lots of noise, music and joy!  

A further question asked was how we can help our partners through prayer and what would they wish us to pray for, their response –

1. Health
2. Education
3. Reduction in the inflation
4. Employment
5. Change of political direction

I feel we should pray for these partners, maybe at least once a month, through our prayers in Church intercessions.  

The New Structures:  much was discussed on this subject as you may expect.  

The name for the new partnerships was voted upon and once District Councils disappear we shall be part of an ‘Area Partnership’.  There will be 8 area partnerships in the Eastern Synod.  Dovercourt Central Church is to be part of Colchester & Tendring Area Partnership.  Pastoral Advocates will be appointed in the coming months to each area partnership and some partnerships will have more than one advocate.  

There is to be a discussion day on the 1^st. December 2007 at Westminster College to consider the new structures and the following were submitted for the discussions:

• How will the ecumenical partners within some churches (such as our own) be represented within the new partnerships.
• The roles and responsibilities of the Pastoral Advocate within the partnerships
• How many pastoral advocates will be required for the larger partnerships
• How will the new area partnerships be able to look at serving the new housing developments that are forecast for the Eastern Synod Region.
• How to ensure that meetings within the new partnerships are positive and meaningful to all.

I have the documents from Synod discussions if anyone wants to look further into the detail of this lengthy discussion and the resolutions that were carried to appoint the new Synod structure, committees and issues such as calling a minister in the new structure.  

Next Synod Meeting will be the 15^th. March 2008  (expected to be in Norwich )

       Ramsey Methodist Lent Study Group

Eleven ladies and one man assembled yet again for a couple of hours of study and fellowship concluded with an excellent lunch. The group have been looking at various characters involved in the Holy Week story.

Junior Church led a lovely Christingle Service on Sunday 10th December. Pictures of this may be seen on Special Occasions Page.