Our postponed 2020 Church AGM was a virtual meeting, held on the Zoom platform on Wednesday 27th January.
Over forty members attended (virtually) and, after adopting the URC Rules for Procedure of virtual meetings, we received the 2019 Annaul Report and accounts, shared some pastoral news and conducted other essential business.
Thank you to everyone who contributed in any way to our special Advent and Christmas services this year.
As a result of collections at our own services, carol singing donations and at events held at church by other organisations, we have been able to send over £1800 to our Christmas charity, Children in Distress.
The children and young people of our Junior Church led an effective service for us today, focusing on the idea that we should not let the periferies of Christmas celebrations obscure the significance of the birth of Jesus into our world.
Thank you to everyone who took part and to everyone who was involved in the planning and preparation for the service.
This service was also our “Toy Service” and the gifts that people brought and donated will be taken to a local women’s refuge.
On Sunday, we dedicated fifty shoeboxes of gifts prepared by our Junior Church for children overseas.
These will be transported and distributed by the Teams4U charity which was set up by Dave Cooke, the originator of Operation Christmas Child.
Thank you to everyone who contributed items for the shoeboxes, to the children who wrote letters to the recipients and to the adults who helped them pack and wrap the shoeboxes.
The Junior Church was presented with the John Muir Award at our Harvest Service 2019.
John Muir (1838-1914) was an explorer, mountaineer, conservationist, botanist, amateur geologist and writer. Having been raised in Dunbar on the east coast of Scotland, he moved to the USA with his family aged ten and is remembered for his role protecting the Yosemite Valley in California and helping to establish the world’s first national park system.
The John Muir Trust was set up to defend wild land, enhance habitats for all and to help people connect with nature, even in cities. Its award scheme encourages people to enjoy and care for wild places.
Our Junior Church decided to work towards this award as a way of thinking about and responding to God’s world and our part in it. To earn the award members of the Junior Church have worked together and individually on a variety of activities including:
Congratulations to the children and young people of the Junior Church and to their leaders for earning this award.
Our Junior Church led a lively and challenging service for our Harvest Festival this year, reflecting on the need for everyone to respect and care for the environment, taking the theme: no-one is too small to make a difference.
Our Primary & Beginners and Junior Departments asked us to think about wild flowers and the many crops which rely on bees and other polinating insects, our Seniors adapted Monty Python’s Cheese Shop sketch to give us “The Food Shop” and our Youth Group gave us The Seed Story and magic bread. The service also included the presentation of the John Muir Award to our Junior Church.
Thank you to everyone who participated.
For a number of years, our church, Junior Church and individual members have given support to Upendo Junior School in the town of Kiminini, Kenya. This school was founded by Dr. Masibo Lumala to provide education for children in need.
In September, the church pleased to welcome Masibo, with his colleagues Stella Chebii and Hardlyne Lusui. Masibo spoke during worship to thank the church for our support and tell us more about the school.
The classrooms that we helped fund are now in full use and the school is working to improve security and sanitation for its pupils. We were glad to make a further gift to contribute to this.
Following their return to Kenya, Masibo has written:
Greetings from a warm and sunny Kiminini.
I wish to that this opportunity to first thank you and your minister Chris for hosting us at your lovely church on 1st September. It was wonderful talking to your congregation and having a chit chat with you over coffee after the service.
Second, please convey my deep gratitude to the church and the elders for their generous gift to Upendo Junior School. The money will go a long way in enabling me to complete the toilets for the children. May God bless everyone who has continued to give to us and to ray for our work here.
Masibo
Our minister, Rev’d Chris Ford celebrated 35 years in the ordained ministry, serving congregations in the Untied Reformed Church since 1984.
Thank you Chris and, of course, Ally.
The Junior Church Show for 2019 – The Little Mermaid Jnr – provided another wonderful evening of entertainment and fun for a large audience in the church.
This junior version of the show included all the songs everyone was looking forward to, those who had lines seemed to be word perfect and the costumes and set, as always, were stunning.
Thank you to all the actors and actresses as well as all the adults who helped to make this such an impressive show. Well done to all!
