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The Forerunner

 

The Magazine for the Parish of

Newington Bagpath with

Kingscote  

November                                                    2003

Calendar for November 2003

Nailsworth (CC) = service at Christ Church

* = joint service with Christ Church members   

Mums and Toddlers group meets at Nailsworth Church at 9.15 am on Fridays.

The next Parish House Group meeting will take place on Tuesday 11 November at Ashcroft House at 7.45 pm for 8.00 pm.  All parishioners will be most welcome and lifts can be arranged.

The next PCC meeting will be on Monday  1 December at 8.00 pm in the Village Hall.

The annual Service of Carols and Lessons will be at 7.00 pm on Monday  22 December.

            Diocesan Internet News Site   www.glosdioc.org.uk

            Forerunner Internet Site   www.geocities.com/forerunneruk/

 

The Vicar’s Letter

Dear Friends,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11 v1.

The classic definition of faith from the writer of the letter of Hebrews.  The chapter then goes on to remind the readers of the remarkable stories of men and women of faith and how God used them for His purposes.  I have always taken heart in the knowledge that, provided we proceed with God’s purposes in mind, He can take our imperfect offerings and use them for His purposes.

Bishop David preached at his final service in the Cathedral on the 18th of October that his messages as a parish priest at one stage used to focus on the need for fellowship, and that when the people he was preaching to learnt that message he would move on !  He then observed that St John in his long life seemed to preach the same message often - “Love one another.”  I often revert back to the two greatest commandments - “that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbours as ourselves” - if we do so, then I believe everything else will fall into place.

As we proceed with various projects in each of our churches in this Benefice we should always be guided by these principles - the desire to serve God with every fibre of our being and in so doing to treat each other with love, always wishing for the best for each other and wishing to grow together and encourage each other in our faith.

As we do so we will grow to trust each other and  if we trust more in God I believe that as we seek more and more His glory, wherever He calls us to serve Him, then He will make things happen for His greater glory.  This does not mean that we act without careful prayer, consideration and wisdom, but faith does mean there are times when we shut our eyes, put our blind faith in God and ‘go for it’ !

The Reverend Stephen Earley

 

Services to watch out for !

2 November at Nailsworth - Remembering our loved ones.

9 November at most of our churches - Remembrance Sunday .

16 November at Kingscote - Family and Animals.

30 November at Nailsworth - United Benefice Family Communion.

30 November at Tetbury - Deanery Evensong .

 

Flower Rota    

November 2 November 9 & 16 Remembrance November 23 Nov 30 to Dec 24    Advent

Flower Team Mrs S Bradley-Jones Lyn Stuart Jo Spash

For next year and in the future would someone like to take on the Advent Candle which was done for many years by Sue ?

Jo Spash

 

Sunday Club

Children took part in a charming rendition of  ‘The Enormous Turnip’ as part of our Harvest Festival in October, which was greatly appreciated by the congregation.  They also presented their donations to Water Aid (totalling £12-05) in boxes decorated with harvest products - seeds, beans and Alpaca wool.  Thank you to all who attended and participated.

On 9 November our Sunday Club meeting will take place in the Village Hall at 11.00 am.  All welcome (under 3’s accompanied please).

Janet, Elin and Jenny

Flower and Clean Team

We will be in action again on Wednesday 12 November, meeting in the church at our usual time of 2.30 pm.

Vida Sutton

Grumbolds Ash Group

Only five of us joined the trip to Westonbirt Arboretum on October 7th, but the weather stayed fine and the colours were wonderful.  For lunch we went to the Weighbridge Inn to sample their wonderful pies.

Colour of a different sort will be our next venture when we visit the ‘Colour Matters’ shop in Nailsworth.   We will each endeavour to paint a pot which will then be glazed and fired for us by Fiona Frances, the shop owner.  This will take place on the evening of Thursday 20 November when I have booked for 7.00 pm.  This should be fun, so I hope all can make it.  If we meet up at the Village Hall at 6.30 pm we can then decide how many cars are needed.

PS: ‘Colour Matters’ is in Old Market Street, near the Britannia Inn.

                                                             Vida Sutton

 

Parish Council

The next scheduled Parish Council meeting is on Monday 10 November at 7.30 pm in the Hunters Hall.

Sharon Hodgkins

Village Hall Activities

Committee: The Village Hall Committee invite any parishioners interested in serving on the committee and providing new ideas for Village Hall events to attend the next committee meeting on Wednesday 19 November at 8.00 pm in the Village Hall, or if unavailable then to contact Alice on  (Tel. See paper version of Forerunner).

Quiz Night:  A quiz will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday 22 November at 7.30 pm.  Entry will cost £2 per adult/ £1 per child, with coffee and cakes provided.  There will also be a raffle.  Everyone welcome.

Childrens’ Christmas Party:  Sunday 14 December, 3.00 to 5.00 pm.  Open to all children aged between 3 and 12 years who live in this parish.  Under 4’s to be accompanied.  If details not received by circular by end November, tickets available from Louise Marsh  (Tel. See paper version of Forerunner).

Alice Cooper

Harvest Supper

The Harvest Supper was not to be this year after all - the take-up for tickets was so low that we decided to abandon the event - apologies to those people who did buy tickets and were looking forward to a good feast.  As this is usually a popular event in the calendar we shall try again next year.  However, we were given a very good prize for the draw - a year’s subscription for two adults for Westonbirt Arboretum (worth over £40).  As we had intended the proceeds from the harvest supper to go to the charity Water Aid, we have decided to continue with the draw and raise some funds for them in that way.  Just put a donation in an envelope with your name on it and give it to Philip Kendell (Bagpath), Harry Tubbs, Sue Bradley-Jones or Elin Tattersall by November 16.

The PCC

Tetbury Hospital

The Friends of Tetbury Hospital are holding a Winter Ball to raise funds for the hospital on Friday 21 November at the Hare and Hounds Hotel, Westonbirt.   Tickets cost £30 per person and application forms are available through  Sue Bradley-Jones  (Tel. See paper version of Forerunner).

Christmas Cards

The PCC has had some very nice cards produced featuring details from some of the stained glass windows in the church.  They are available at £5 for 10 cards from PCC members.  Proceeds will go towards the fabric fund.

The PCC

Mobile Police Station

The Mobile Police Station will visit Kingscote between 1.30 and 2.00 pm on Wednesday 12th and Monday 24th  November.  Please give them your support.

Post Office

The Post Office is open on every normal working Tuesday and Thursday :

           from  9.00 am to 1.00 pm  and  from  2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.

Mobile Library                                                                         

The mobile library will be by The Walled Garden from 9.40 am to 9.55 am on Thursdays 13th and 27th November.

 

Waste Recycling

The boxes will be emptied as follows:

                   Newington and Bagpath  -  Mon. 10th and 24th November.

                   Kingscote  -  Tues. 11th and 25th November.

 

Magazine

Any material which may be of interest for the next issue of the Forerunner should be sent by 20th November to H. Tubbs,  3 The Walled Garden,  Tel. 860194 , e-mail : 

 

Real Religion

On Saturdays the Daily Telegraph has published a series of  articles by the Reverend Dr Denis Duncan under the title ‘Meditation’.  The extracts below seem relevant to us here in Kingscote:

“Religion is caught , not taught”.

What then is real religion ? 

“Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the father less, plead the cause of the widow.”

“Religion is not proficiency in the fine art of spiritual knowledge. It is just the love of God and neighbour.”

“Real religion is to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

The church exists to nurture holiness in its members through worship, fellowship, the exposition of the Word, the priority of prayer, the sharing of the sacraments.  But such worship must never become an end in itself, making the church a pious club rather than a dynamic power.

The road from worship leads into ‘all the world’, calling it to foster social justice, peace and reconciliation, incarnating the love it proclaims in service to the needy and underprivileged; a body radical in its dissatisfaction with things as they are, and revolutionary in its determination to change the things which can be changed. 

This is the religion that needs to be caught.

Dr Duncan’s book which is the source for the articles is obtainable from Telgraph Books Direct; Tel. 0870 155 7222  

 

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