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December 2012 / January 2013
Christmas Blessings to everyone. Come and join in our Christmas programme.
In this issue
Remembrance Sunday
Pat Langmead
Kirsteen and Tom’s wedding
SMASH news
Jeremy Heald leaving
Guild concert
Joe’s achievements down
under
Green Tip
Men’s coffee group lunch
Contact’s news
Ex Urbe concert
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Pat died peacefully in his own home at the age of eighty two. Pat's early years were spent in Exeter. He attended Heels school during World War 2 and well remembered cycling through smoking ruins the morning after the worst night of the Exeter blitz. It was at Birmingham University that he met his future wife Brenda. They were both studying French and English. After graduation he served in the RAF for 2 years before returning to university to take his teaching diploma. He and Brenda were married in Yorkshire in 1954 and started married life in a flat in Edgbaston, but later moved to Solihull, where their children Susan, Matthew and Hilary were born. Pat was teaching French at Tudor Grange School. For many years Pat was Chairman of Christian Aid. He had a deep concern for people in need, and developed a strong desire to help to improve educational opportunities in Kenya. In this he was much influenced by Harry Mills who had extensive personal knowledge of the needs there. And so in 1993 Pat set up the charity EducAid Africa, now so well known and far reaching; sponsoring students, providing books and many other materials for schools, and
supporting local communities not only financially but with regular visits. EducAid Africa was our Church project some years ago, and groups from our church have been out to Kenya on several occasions. We sponsored Selina Katana through school and college. She is now a qualified teacher. Many local schools are still enthusiastic fund raisers for this special charity started by Pat. In addition to his wide interests which included history and politics, he was a great family man, much loved by his 3 children, 9 grandchildren and of course by his wife Brenda. Sue said her parents had a perfect marriage. He had a mischievous sense of humour and was great fun to be with. Many tributes have been paid to Pat since his death. Among them are “He was a good man who loved, cared for and helped people in need” and “He gave us hope in life and made us smile”. What a legacy he has left!. From our church which he attended for many years we send our love and sympathy to Brenda, Sue, Hilary and Matthew and the 9 grandchildren, who filled the front pew at his Service of Thanksgiving.
PATRICK LANGMEAD
TTTTTTTTTTTTT
Congratulations to Peter and Judith’s daughter, Kirsteen Farndon,
who last month married Tom Stafford in the rather damp Lake District.
Note the pink wellies!
Mike’s Message
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Lettings [email protected]
0121 705 7367
Church Office [email protected]
Pastoral Coordinator
Chris Giles 07792 105887
Youth Worker
Catherine Lamb 07957 473209 or 603 1132
[email protected] Available Wed to Mon
Minister
Mike Crockett 705 5254
[email protected] Available Saturday to Thursday
Signs of Life. “The people living in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land and shadow of death, a light has risen." It is a pleasure to invite you to join us this December as we relook at the great signs that point us through the birth of Christ to life and joy and peace in our day to day living. Life was like death for the people of this small Middle Eastern country 2000 years ago. Sorely oppressed by the military might of Rome and with the religious leadership severely compromised, life was a living hell. As if to make matters worse, there were groups of resistance fighters retaliating in various smaller scaled incidents. Inevitably these would fail and lead to increased suffering inflicted on the people. It was all horror as the images jostle with each other, distorted beyond any possible reality into that which becomes possible only for God to change should he wish to intervene. God does. Into this dreadful situation was born a baby, conceived in dubious circumstances, to a teenage couple in the historical town of Bethlehem. It is inconceivable, yet in the face of hunger, slavery and occupying troops God comes to the rescue in the birth of a child. Through this child the appearance of the peace of God would shine like a light into the conflicts and experiences of real life.
There are two points I would like us to consider reflecting on this Christmas. Real darkness is always the eclipse of God. True light is the revelation of God who calls us out of darkness into his life. The clearer my sight of God, the more my heart is filled with light. Secondly, the Kingdom of Peace comes to us through the Disarming Child. Helpless, defenceless and unarmed, this child makes us feel so utterly stupid, embarrassingly ridiculous with all our guns and bombs and machines of war. Rebelling slaves and aggressive masters will never find lasting peace through their violent campaigns. The baby has a fresh way of making us put away our rifles and opening our clenched fists. May we find again for ourselves this Christmas a return to innocence, a new birth that can send us on into all the remaining years of our lives with joyful enthusiasm and peace. You will find in this lovely newsletter many invitations to join us in one way or another. We are committing to help make you, whoever you are, feel at home among us. May you be blessed this Christmas. With love, Mike, Chris, Catherine and Joan.
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SMASH (the church's music and drama group),
presents GUYS AND DOLLS on 20th-23rd March 2013 at the Dovehouse Theatre. This delightful love story, entwined with a sense of moral duty and the tales of the gambling circuit of New York, is a true family classic. Set in 1950s New York, Guys and Dolls follows gambler Sky Masterson in his plight to win the heart of Salvation Army Sergeant Sarah Brown, but is it only for a bet or has he really fallen in love? His opponent Nathan Detroit (who is desperate to find a spot for his famous dice game), has been engaged to Adelaide for 14 years - the cause of her chronic cold. So, will Sarah ever curb Sky's gambling and will Adelaide ever pin down Nathan? Tickets will be on sale in the church hall from Sunday 13th January, or by post via the ticket order form which will be available on http://www.solihull-smash.org.uk/ in mid-December.
Jeremy Heald We said a sad goodbye to Jeremy in November. He has been playing the organ for us for over 6 years, during which time he has worked his way into the hearts of all our Church family, by being such a good friend as well as a brilliant musician. He has been at the heart of SMASH music on keyboards, and he has played the piano, his first love, in so many memorable recitals and star evenings. In appreciation of our deep regard, the Church presented Jeremy with a cheque and a rather special engraved barometer. A new career awaits you back home Jeremy, and we all wish you well. We will miss you so much. Do please come back to see us from time to time.
We are very sad to report the death of Molly Shaw, who is the much loved wife of Rev. Derek Shaw.
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SOLIHULL SIXTH FORM COLLEGE What a wonderful evening the musicians of the Sixth Form College gave us again! These young students were, as usual, quite amazing in their extremely talented performances. The music they played was both modern and classical. It was evident from the enthusiasm and confidence ho w much they were enjoying themselves. We heard a super trumpet solo, choir and solo singing, piano playing and a saxophone sonata. There was also an extremely pretty guitar duet and a string quintet. Alexander Fergusson played a difficult piano work by Madsen, and Zoe Hemington played Chopin’s Raindrop Prelude quite beautifully. We also heard a wind jazz group with, unusually, an oboe. Of particular note was the beautiful voice of Lily Allen Dodd, who also sings with the Cathedral Choir and Birmingham Opera. Her future as a performer is assured. The standing ovation by the audience showed how much everyone enjoyed the evening.
Many thanks to the Guild for making this now regular event in the calendar happen again. Long may it continue!!
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REMEMBRANCE
Unsung Heroes I want to talk about some unsung heroes of the Second World War - men of the Merchant Navy. 4800 Allied merchant ships were lost worldwide. 30,000 British seamen perished. Merchant seamen were civilians, yet suffered casualties on a military scale. However, in spite of the dangers there was never any shortage of volunteers. I have a personal interest in this as my father was a Chief Engineer in the Booth Line. He was sunk three times. The first was the SS Polycarp which was torpedoed on the 2nd of June 1940, just outside the English Channel. The men were rescued by a French fishing boat which took them to Penzance. The second time was on the 6th April 1941, North West of Scotland, when the SS Dunstan was sunk by air attack setting the ship on fire. Two of the crew were killed and three injured. A hospital ship picked up the survivors and took them to Iceland. The third was on the Fort La Maune which was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean on 5th January 1944 at midnight. My father was in his cabin asleep when the explosion occurred. He rushed down to the engine room in his pyjamas and made sure that all the engine room and the stokehole men left. He followed them up the ladder and dashed to his cabin and put on his clothes. He grabbed his life jacket and torch and made sure he had his false teeth .(As he had lost them on previous sinkings). Rushing on deck he found that all the lifeboats had left, and he was alone on the sinking ship. He jumped into the sea and managed to get onto a Carly float which had been blown off the ship. Some hours later he heard the sound of the ship’s motor lifeboat and so he flashed his torch. His signals were seen and he was able to join one of three very crowded ship’s life boats.
There followed 14 days of sailing by day and rowing by night. They were scorched by the sun all day and shivered with cold all night. They eventually made landfall on the Arabian coast where they were spotted by an RAF aircraft and then picked up by one of our Royal Navy corvettes. My father arrived home to find that he was a witness in a murder trial, but that is another story. He lived to a ripe old age, and I suppose you could say that he was one of the lucky ones. Yet how all this shows the futility of war and the waste of precious lives to no useful purpose.
Reg then lit the candle of Peace and Hope and we prayed that there will be no more wars and that the world will, with God’s help, live in peace
The following story was narrated by Reg Bywell during the Remembrance Service on 11th November 2012
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SUNDAY
The central stem is the mast of a ship with its crow’s nests. The central arrangement shows the blue sea with the white surf of the waves. The ship then is going down and the poppies are the people lost in this tragedy. Some are held in palmate leaves which represent the hands of God The supporting latticework represents the lines of longitude and latitude that our sailors crossed both then and every day.
We are privileged to have in Margaret Rumens one of the country’s leading floral designers. She has managed flowers in our Church each week for 30 years, and a challenge she enjoys is to interpret anew our ceremony in flowers each year. Using Reg’s story as her theme, she arranged the flowers for the Remembrance Service, and told the children the meaning of the various elements in her design.
Covenant Sunday January 13th at 10.30 am
Covenant Sunday is one of our unique Methodist traditions. It is a way of reminding us of who we are as followers of Jesus, and renewing our vows as disciples and being available for God. Take a look as these amazing words. 'I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you, or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing: I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours.’
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The Men and their Wives turned out in force for their annual lunch at the Bridge Club. The food was as usual delicious. After lunch they were entertained by Richard Balmer, who recounted his adventures with Sue in Mongolia. He denied the scurrilous rumour that he went to Mongolia to swap Sue for a Yak! (It was the much more prized horse he was after!). Mongolia he told them was a huge country with just 3 million people, who for most of their history have been happy admiring their hilly scenery and milking their yaks. Their peaceful way of life however was disturbed by Genghis Khan, who murdered his rivals, set up a huge army, and conquered half of the then known world from Bulgaria to Korea. It is suggested that today over 16 million males can trace their DNA back to Genghis Khan! More recently in 1921, Mongolia called upon Russia to help defend against Chinese aggression, but of course the price was to embrace communism and to close their monasteries. In 1990 the Russians pulled out and the locals returned to their former peaceful lives. Richard told of poor transport, awful roads, primitive sanitation, and sleeping in Yurts (6 foot diameter tents with a stove in the middle). But they also heard of a happy friendly people who offered food and hospitality to strange visitors and of the greenness of the Gobi Desert. What a fascinating presentation. Many thanks to Reg, Martin and Bryan for organising such a splendid event.
New Housegroup
The new Banks Housegroup got off to a flying start in November with a great turnout of 8. We're following a study guide based on famous prayers in the bible, and this week looked at Hannah's prayer before the birth of Samuel. The different Old Testament culture brought up some interesting challenges (we wisely decided not to debate the pros and cons of having two wives!), but we found that the prayer had a lot to offer us in guiding the way we can speak with God today. We are meeting fortnightly and would be delighted to welcome anyone else interested in joining a new housegroup. Jon
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The Messenger Team Sue Balmer, Mike Crockett, Bryan Fitter,
Jeff Horton, Bill Penny and Lawrie Rumens.
Material for publication to [email protected]
Please try to keep articles to 250 words. We reserve the right to edit articles if
necessary. Please send photographs separately as
jpeg files. NB. Last date for February Messenger
items is 12th January
COMPETITION: PRIZES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE! The Greener Church Group are offering prizes for Good Ideas from our young people. There will be 3 prizes - £20, £10 and £5 - for the best 3 ideas which have not already appeared in these ‘Green Tips’. They should be practical ideas which help us as a church and/or as individual members of the congregation, to save energy or help the environment in other ways. Email [email protected] with your idea (or ideas – you can enter more than once) by 31st December this year and include your age. RE-USE YOUR JAM JARS! At the beginning of October the Daily Mail and Daily Express newspapers reported that EU regulations were stopping the re-use of glass jars for jams, chutneys and so on sold at churches or events like fetes. This was anti-EU bunkum!!. We have an email from Solihull Council’s Environmental Health Department, the body responsible for compliance with the relevant regulations in our area, which advises that glass jars only need to go through a dishwasher and be dry before re-use. Do prevent this becoming another ‘urban myth’ if you hear it put about in conversation.
Richard Balmer
NEW YEARS DAY WALK The New Years Day Walk will be for four miles from the public car park at Berkswell, by the Green. Meet me there at 10.30.a.m. After the walk, Jo and the Rev Mike have kindly invited us for soup and mince pies at the Manse, 26 White House Way. Car parking could be difficult, so it is suggested that you park in either the Church car park or that at the swimming baths. Enquiries to Reg Bywell (705 8678).
Contact hosted a Fashion Show with Country Casuals and Viyella. The store Manageress Vicki did the commentary on all of the outfits which were absolutely beautiful.
We were also joined by our colour adviser Karen Cross who chose Ann Fellows as her model.
The evening started with clothes, then on to colours, and then more clothes. The models were Margaret Meaking, Su Shore, Molly Bird, Rita Martin, Gill Cooper and Frances Edwards.
Each modelled 5/6 outfits. Everyone worked tremendously hard, and we have to thank the backstage assistants, refreshment assistants, parking attendants etc., and front of house. It took several months to prepare but when all the models danced down the aisle it was definitely worthwhile.
Total raised (including collection boxes) was £500 which will go to the Marie Curie Big Build.
Don’t miss Wednesday 16th
January 8.00 pm
Sue and Richard Balmer will talk about how they travelled around the fascinating country of Mongolia and managed with only a small case each
weighing 5kg.
Mongolia with hand baggage!
A view on the edge of the Little Gobi Desert, Mongolia
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HELP!!
What’s on this month?
Sunday 2nd 09.00 am Holy Communion - Rev Mike Crockett
10.30 am All Age Worship and Toy Service. Theme - 'Seeing': Rev Peter Tonks
6.30 pm Quiet Space
Tuesday 4th 9.30am Tuesday Holy Communion
Wednesday 5th 8.00 pm CONTACT: Christmas Lunch at the Holiday Inn, Solihull
Friday 7th 7.30 pm GUILD: Beyond the Planets - Janet Sinclair
Sunday 9th 10.30 am Morning Worship & Holy Communion. Theme - 'Hearing': Rev Mike Crockett
6.30 pm December Christmas Movie. Rev Mike Crockett
Tuesday 11th 9.30 am Tuesday Holy Communion
Friday 14th 7.30 pm GUILD: Sightsavers - Alicia O'Brien
Sunday 16th 10.30 am Festival of Nne Lessons and Carols
6.30 pm Holy Communion, gentle worship and healing: Rev Chris Giles
Tuesday 18th 9.30 am Tuesday Holy Communion
Wednesday
19th
7.30 pm 8.00 pm
CONTACT: Christmas Communion followed by Christingle Service with Contact Choir
Thursday 20th 10.30am-6.30pm The Church will be open for private prayer and reflection
Friday 21st 10.30am-6.30pm The Church will be open for private prayer and reflection
Sunday 23rd 10.30 am Morning Worship. Theme - 'Greeting': Rev Mike Crockett
6.30 pm Candlelight Service
Monday 24th 3.00 pm Crib Service
11.15 pm Christmas Eve Communion
Tuesday 25th 10.30 am Christmas Day Service. Theme - the Greatest Sign of All
Sunday 30th 10.30 am Morning Worship "Signs that Linger" David Reddish
January
Tuesday 1st 10.30 am NO COMMUNION SERVICE
Friday 4th 7.30 pm GUILD: New Year Buffet
Sunday
6th
10.30 am
Morning Worship and Holy Communion: Keith Dennis 'What Shall our Covenant be?'
6.30 pm Quiet Space
Tuesday 8th 9.30 am Tuesday Holy Communion
Friday
11th
7.30 pm
GUILD: Beatrice, The Cadbury Heiress who gave away her fortune – Fiona Joseph
Sunday 13th 10.30am Covenant and Communion Service: Mike Crockett "Doing Covenant"
6.30 pm
Evening Service: Special Speaker Chinese Mission in the UK – Lawrence Sin
Tuesday 15th 9.30am Tuesday Holy Communion
Wednesday
16th
8.00 pm
CONTACT: Mongolia with hand baggage - how to travel light in Mongolia – Sue Balmer
Friday 18th 7.30 pm GUILD: To the Church at Corinth - Andy Clark
Sunday 20th 10.30 am Morning Worship: Rev Mike Crockett. Our Fundamentals for 2013
6.30 pm Ecumenical Service at St Augustine's
Tuesday 22nd 9.30 am Tuesday Holy Communion
Friday 25th 7.30 pm GUILD: Members' Choice
Sunday 27th 10.30 am Morning Worship: Rev Derek Shaw
6.30 pm Healing Service with Holy Communion: Rev Mike Crockett
Tuesday 29th 9.30 am Tuesday Holy Communion
Friday
30th
8.00 pm
CONTACT: Carousel Costumes. Wonderful costumes for you to try - Andrew Wilson Jenner
October 22nd was the date for the World Triathlon Championships in Auckland New Zealand and in amongst this incredible group of athletes was Joe Minall, a teacher in our Junior Church and recently confirmed church member. Of the 1,600 competitors who swam 1500m, cycled 40 km and then ran 10 km, Joe came 188th overall, and 45th out of 87 finishers in his age group! What an achievement for the 2nd year PE student at Solihull College. During his preparation, Joe was spending 30 hours a week training in one or other of the three disciplines. His diet, “feeding mainly on sweet potatoes, pasta and roast turkey!” Energy gels kept him going during the race, which according to Joe went by in a blur. Joe made it into the team having qualified 6th in the UK in the amateur age group 25-29.. “It was such an amazing experience, just to be there among all these top athletes,” Joe told the God Talk house group on his return. We all say, “Well done Joe, and strength for your future.”
Printed by The Additional Curates Society
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To the Messenger Team, Many thanks for another super 'star studded' November Messenger. So colourful, informative and challenging. Praise the Lord that we are so fortunate in having such a talented, caring and hard working congregation.
Peter Handley
