all items for the editor’s hands no later than m.u. · pdf fileover, simeon is ready to...

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NOTE—If at all possible please send by email. Thanks.

EDITOR:

Mrs Barbara Irwin,

3 Lindal Close,

DALTON IN FURNESS, Cumbria LA15 8NL.

Tel: 01229 467470

Email— [email protected]

USEFUL NUMBERS

PRESIDENT: Mrs Wendy Houghton,

19 Selby Terrace, MARYPORT, Cumbria CA15 6NF

Phone: 01900 813675

SECRETARY: Mrs Joy Budden,

Arthuret House, Arthuret Road, LONGTOWN, Cumbria CA6 5SJ

Phone: 01228 792263

TREASURER: Mr David Bennell

Sherwood, Braithwaite, KESWICK, Cumbria CA12 5ST

Phone: 017687 78139

DEADLINE: All items for the SUMMER ISSUE TO BE IN THE

EDITOR’S HANDS NO LATER THAN :

6th MAY 2015

Holme by Joyce Walker

M.U. NEWS SPRING Edition 2015

Wishing you all a Happy and productive 2015. You may wonder why I have used a photo of me on holiday on a Segway ~ the reason is, it is something I have wanted to do for quite a few years but have never had the opportunity or the nerve to try it. Now I have, I am hooked, I loved it and want to do it again. Have you ever wanted to try something new and never plucked up the courage to do it. Well now is the time to try to increase our membership and we must pluck up the courage to do something about it now – Once we start it seems to come easier and as long as we pray hard we will find the right way to do it. I know it is easy for me to say and really difficult to do but we really must try as the rest of the Mothers’ Union world depends on us. There are over 4 million members worldwide but mainly the members in Britain and Ireland support these other members. It is quite a responsibility that we have to bear, but when we see how well our fellow members are doing in the rest of the world and what

Our Diocesan President Wendy Houghton

Dear Members

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they are achieving, in often very poor conditions, we should be really proud of what is achieved in the name of Mothers’ Union. We should not hide what we do `under a bushel’ but share with all members of our churches and families – many people do not know what the Mothers’ Union does, that it has male members, single or divorced members, don’t you think it is about time that they do learn about our stories and activities.

Unfortunately we have lost three branches in the past year, what a shame but on the positive side I know that quite a few of the members from these branches have joined other branches or become diocesan members and also that some new members have joined but we really must encourage more people to join, not necessarily as branch members but as diocesan members and if we could encourage younger women to join by starting a group that meets in each other’s home or in the pub, all the better.

The new ideas on the Mothers’ Union website are called `Inspired’ and there are some really good ideas out there. If you want to know more about these and don’t have the internet, just ask me or any of the Trustees and we would be happy to print out some of the ideas on the website.

I have just come back from the farewell service in Abbeytown for Lynne and David Tembey, they are also heading for something of a new challenge by moving to Marske by the Sea, in Cleveland, at least Lynne will have a constant in her life as she will still be our Worldwide President but we are very sorry to see her move from our diocese. As I said earlier we have all to try something new and accept new challenges, so we wish Lynne and David all our best wishes for the future. Anyway I am sure we will still see Lynne for time to time.

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CARLISLE DIOCESE MOTHERS’ UNION

ANNUAL RETREAT 2015 To be held in Rydal Hall, Ambleside

From: Tuesday 3rd to Thursday 5th NOVEMBER 2015

(arrive 4.30pm on Tues and depart after lunch Thurs)

Led by The Very Rev. Mark Boyling, Dean of Carlisle

Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………..….

Mrs/Miss/Ms/Mr .……………………………………….…

Branch: ………………………………………….…………………………………………..

Home Address:…………………………………..……………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………….Post Code …….......………………...

Tel No (inc STD……………………………….…………..…………………………...

E-Mail ……………………….………………………………..………………………………..

Cost £150 Please complete the form and send with deposit/booking

fee of £40 (non refundable) to:-

Mrs B Kelly, 73 Upperby Road, CARLISLE, Cumbria CA2 4JE Tel: 01228-514013

Balance (£110) payable by 20 October 2015

Cheques made payable to Mrs B Kelly

Please enclose SAE if receipt required

PLACES LIMITED EARLY BOOKING ADVISED

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MOTHERS’ UNION CARLISLE DIOCESE

QUIET DAY

Tues 14th APRIL 2015 RYDAL HALL 10.00 am—3.00 pm

Cost £25 including Coffee, Lunch & Tea on leaving

Conductor: Rev. Jonathan Green, Warden of Rydal Hall

Theme: “Stop, Look & Listen”

Names and Cheques, as soon as possible, to Barbara Kelly

73 Upperby Road CARLISLE CA2 4JE

SHARING DAY

Come and join us for one of the two Sharing Days to be held in the Autumn.

No need to book in advance, just bring a packed lunch.

Friday 11th September at Egremont

Tuesday 15th September at Moorland

All Welcome, especially first timers.

This year the Diocesan Outing is to

LIVERPOOL on 11th May 2015

Ask your Deanery Leader for details

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Here is hoping and praying that by the end of my term in office we may have lots more members and that the news about Mothers’ Union will have spread far and wide especially in our diocese.

With love and prayers

Wendy

ATTENTION! Election time will soon be upon us!

As you will be aware 2015 is Election year for the new officers for the 2016-2018

Triennial. A number of office holders will be retiring having served either one or two triennials.

We will need to start thinking now of who is going to replace them so that we go into the new Triennial with good officers in place to con-tinue to valuable work of the MU in our Diocese.

If you know of anyone (or even yourself) who you feel would be able to take on one of these positions it is not too soon to do something about it. If you are interested please let me know.

When we know which positions are going to be vacated we can then start the process of electing new people to those offices.

Joy Budden - Diocesan Secretary

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From our Chaplain Revd Jim Hyslop Dear Members,

How do you expect to meet Jesus? Do you expect only to meet Him after you have died? If you were to meet Him before that do you think that it would be in great dramatic way? Do you think it would have to be in a very special way?

Remember the story about Elijah. While he was in a cave God came to him, but wasn’t in the mighty wind or the earthquake; it was in the still small voice. God often comes to us in the small everyday events and so very often we miss Him because we are not expecting Him in that way.

Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,

O still small voice of calm.

I am writing this on the feast of The Presentation of Christ in the Temple. This is the time when Jesus was taken to the temple to be symbolically offered to God as was the Jewish tradition. Read about it in Luke chapter 2.

Jesus came to the temple and it was entirely ignored by everyone apart from Simeon and Anna. How is it that they were able to recognise Jesus, when no one else could? I think there are things we can learn from this.

They recognised Him because of their deep devotion and prayer life. Through this they were able to recognise Jesus.

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Things that are NOT to be used are the shower gels, shampoos etc provided by Hotels. These items are not suitable. We are very grateful to all our members who collect the items listed above and ask that they continue to do so. The items will be collected in the Deaneries by the co-ordinators and will be passed to the members named for assembly and delivery. Thank you all for your co-operation. Please do not hesitate to contact either Dorothy or me if you have any queries.

Anne Garland.

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MUFFIN Bags. We have been concerned for some time that the provision of bags of toiletries for our hospitals was becoming difficult to administer efficiently. It became more and more difficult to get hold of the waterproof material from which they were made, then to find people to sew them, and it was inefficient to pass the contents to Dorothy Clarke in Carlisle who then had to re-distribute them, often sending them back to where they had come from in the first place. At a recent meeting of the Trustees, it was decided to streamline this provision. It was agreed that there should be more than one person responsible for collecting the contents, making up the bags and delivering them to the Hospitals. The four people who have agreed to liaise with the Hospitals are:-

Barrow - Kath Wise and Janice Eadington Kendal - Annette Brown

Whitehaven- Gerry Christmas Carlisle - Dorothy Clarke

Instead of the blue bags, we will now use Freezer bags with a zip fastening (available from IKEA) with the contents remaining the same:-

1 facecloth 1 small bar of soap

1 small toothbrush (travel size if possible) 1 small tooth paste (travel size if possible)

1 small hand towel (guest size or a larger towel cut into smaller ones and stitched)

1 small comb ( possibly the Mothers’ Union one but not necessarily) 1 pack of tissues

1 note with the words “With love and prayers from the Mothers’ Union.” typed on it.

A Mothers’ Union sticker on the outside, covering the IKEA name.

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They recognised Him because they were expecting Him. They were waiting for Him. They knew He would come in some way. The waiting over, Simeon is ready to die and gives us the words of the Nunc Dimitis which many of you may remember from Evensong;

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace…

They recognised Him because they were open to meet Him in whatever way He came. Like all Jews they would be expecting a great leader to march into Jerusalem and liberate it, but Jesus didn’t come like this. They recognised Him in a baby. Jesus came to fully share our humanity with all its needs and fragility and there is nothing more vulnerable that a new born baby. They realised that Jesus came in this unexpected and fairly ordinary way.

In the same way He comes to us in the ordinary, not the extraordinary. He makes the ordinary situation extraordinary. Often we aren’t waiting for Jesus to make contact with us – we don’t expect it to happen and so we miss Him!

We discover Him through our prayer life, our study and in the way we devotedly serve Him in our everyday lives. We need to remember that He who came as light for the world shines out on that world through us. Those outside the faith often find a faith through us and all we do. If we aren’t going to live out the Christian faith to the full and proclaim that faith in word and deed, no one else is!

It is a matter of waiting upon God and letting Him work in us and our

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I remember as a Curate taking part in the funeral of a deeply devoted lady who, along with her husband, lived a quiet life of love and care for the church and other people. At her funeral, as she left the church, we sang this version of the Nunc Dimitis.

Faithful vigil ended,

watching, waiting cease;

Master, grant your servant

her discharge in peace.

Would that that could be said of all of us.

Jim Hyslop

Canon Jim Hyslop,

St John’s Vicarage,

Manor Road,

Carlisle CA2 4LH

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BARROW & FURNESS DEANERY

The Deanery held their Advent Carol Service on 2nd December 2014 in St. Mary’s church, Dalton in Furness. It was lovely to welcome our Diocesan President and her husband all the way from Maryport. After the service Wendy and the Branch Leander of Dalton Parish branch, Doris Hall, managed to surprise one of their members, Joan Harlock, with her 50 years certificate as a MU member. A further surprise was Joan’s daughter, from Kendal, being present to witness the celebration.

Barbara Irwin, Deanery Secretary

To celebrate National Marriage Week the members of Dalton in Furness made lovely cards for weddings/anniversaries in their January Monday and February Wednesday meetings. These cards were made especially to be displayed in church during the week 8th-16th February along with photos of couple’s weddings, verses and flowers. The display drew a lot of interest.

Doris Hall, Branch Leader

Wendy, Joan and Doris

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DERWENT DEANERY

It was with genuine sadness that the final meeting was held on Tuesday, 9th December for closure on 31st December 2014. Although the date of the foundation of the branch is unknown it is known that it was in existence prior to 1911 and has endured until the end of 2014. There had been quite a number of years of falling membership but the branch was rejuvenated in the late 1990s when it joined forces with another parish in the Upper Derwent Benefice, Thornthwaite cum Braithwaite, but again falling member ship and busy lives have necessitated the closure.

Deirdre Lopez, Secretary, Borrowdale Branch

You’ve heard my voice

I love you, Lord, you’ve heard my voice My cry for mercy, too;

Because you turned your ear to me I’ll always call on You.

The cords of death entangled me

The anguish of the grave I called upon Your Holy name I knew my Lord would save!

Gracious and righteous is the Lord

With love his heart o’erflows The simple heart within his hand

His saving kindness knows.

From death my Lord delivers me He dries my bitter tears

And I will walk before the Lord For everlasting years!

By Nigel Beeton

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The One to Five Bursary Fund.

During 2014 the Bursary Fund has made grants totalling £3100.00 to eleven projects. These grants have helped NISCU to set up a second puppet team to visit schools in North Cumbria and provided the Solway Deanery Youth Minister with resources so she can take ‘prayer spaces’ into her local schools. In addition, holiday clubs, Messy Church initiatives and children’s spaces in churches have benefitted from grants. Every group receiving a grant now receives special MU Bursary Fund labels to use in the books and other resources they purchase. The Committee are always pleased to receive reports and pictures of the projects it supports. Please encourage your parishes to use the ‘One to Five’ Baptism cards, so we can continue to support ministry to young people in the Diocese.

Jill Andrews, Administrator.

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From the Secretary WHO’S WHO Page 5 alterations Please alter "Gowns of Love" to "Gifts of

Love". Trustees felt that as we knit and sew so many different items now such as the vests and hats and scarves etc. it was felt this was a more appropriate title.

Ron Eadington has taken over as Conductor of The MU Outreach Choir. Please change the contact details to Mrs Janice Eadington.

We have a new Liverpool Links person who has taken over from Pauline O'Connor.

Mrs Sandy Felton, 2, Black Dyke Road, Arnside, LA5 0HH Tel;01524 762653. Requests for links should be sent to Sandy.

Page 2 email change – Gail Swanson, Windermere Deanery, [email protected]

Page 14 Carlisle Deanery - St Luke's Leader: Mrs. Frances McKnight, 115, Dunmail Drive, Carlisle CA2 6DQ Tel 01228 534585

Page 18 Solway Deanery—Gwen Birkett has taken over again as leader for Netherton branch - Leader: Mrs. Gwen Birkett, 23, Sycamore Rd. Netherton, Maryport, CA15 7AZ Tel. 01900 814769.

Joy Budden.

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DERWENT DEANERY

Did you hear about our Christmas Tree Festival?

It was held at Keswick Methodist Church from 4th - 7th Dec 2014. I visited last year and admired all the trees, but I thought 'why aren't we in it?'

This is the result. It was great fun to do and great publicity for Mothers' Union. Many thanks to all our talented knitters and generous supporters.

It was not a competition but people could vote for their favourite tree. The MU tree attracted the most votes. Some people suggested that it was because the tree embodied the spirit and true meaning of Christmas. Well done everyone! A photo appeared in the Keswick Reminder on Friday 19th December.

Marjorie Browne, Derwent Deanery Leader.

CARLISLE & BRAMPTON DEANERY

A long-serving and very faithful Mothers’ Union member of St. John the Baptist branch, Upperby, Molly Hind celebrated 60 years of marriage to George in November 2014. Many congratulations to them both.

Barbara Kelly

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NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES

CALDER DEANERY

The Parish of Whitehaven MU was where Lynne Tembey first became a member and there was quite a festive atmosphere here when we welcomed over eighty members and friends to Lynne’s homecoming on Monday 17th November. She taught us an African song and though we didn’t actually welcome her with dancing, like many M.U. members abroad, we did present her with gifts and a lavish spread of food. We enjoyed hearing about some of the people and places Lynne has encountered across the world in her role as President and we were given an insight into what a powerful force for good Mothers’ Union can be in all sorts of communities.

We are very grateful to all our guests and helpers for everything they did to make the evening a success. However, some special thanks are due to Cath Burns for the lovely flower arrangement she made, to Anna Jones for the celebration cake and to Jan Whinn for compiling the Memory Collection from Lynne’s time in our parish.

Margaret Brown, Whitehaven Branch Secretary.

Lynne Tembey

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Bishop’s Harvest Appeal

2015 sees the Bishop’s Harvest Appeal being split between Christian Aid and Mothers’ Union work in Sudan. The money will go towards our Litera-cy and Financial Education Programme (LFEP) and we are hoping to raise £11,400 through the Harvest Appeal for the training and equipping of new facilitators in the area so they may in turn help reach more in need.

Literacy and Financial Education Programme (LFEP) equips people with literacy, numeracy and business skills. Participants learn to budget, save and borrow which results in them better able to manage their resources through participating in community saving and lending organisations.

On a wider scale, the programme reduces poverty and addresses gender inequality by raising awareness of women’s rights and enabling them to take action. This results in them becoming able to participate in local decision-making, advocate on topics such as women's rights, healthcare, nutrition and education, and reduce gender-based violence.

Activities are based on community-based group training and participa-tory learning. This builds the confidence of participants as they realise they already have lots of knowledge and skills to offer their community.

The groups are managed by local steering committees and overseen by experienced literacy trainers and Mothers’ Union Coordinators.

Beneficiaries of the programme have to date not only gained literacy and numeracy skills, but have engaged in community development projects. Important change towards food security, infrastructure, and gender equality have been real results of the programmes.

The groups are open to everyone – regardless of religion, age, gender or tribe. The programme is especially effective in reaching the most mar-ginalised.

2014 saw conflict in South Sudan which brought reports of mass killings, rape, destruction of property and other abuses. Some areas experienced influxes of displaced people. Prices have risen, and travel and communi-cation are difficult.

By the end of this 5-year period over 15,000 people in South Sudan and Sudan will have taken part in a LFEP group.

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Springtime Praises Bless the Lord of heaven above,

Sing to God with thanks and love.

Praise him for the joyful spring,

Bringing life to everything.

Praise him for the blossom trees,

Birds and butterflies and bees.

Praise him for the cloud and rain,

And for sunshine once again.

Bless the Lord of heaven above,

Sing to God with thanks and love.

Prayers for all Seasons –

Sophie Piper and Elena Temporin

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name….

Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works…

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence contin-ually.

Words taken from Psalm 105:1-4

Easter Sunday – 5th April

Would we be counted among the doubters,

hiding in the shadow cast by that cruel cross?

Or, when challenged like Peter,

openly deny you?

There are times Lord when doubts assail

and the distance between us seems to in-crease;

There are times Lord when sin has its hold,

like a barrier between us that will not move.

Who is there that we can turn to

When we feel so overwhelmed?

Who can roll away the stone and reveal the empty tomb?

No-one but you Jesus, No-one but You.

Easter Sunday - 5th April

“Christ the Lord is risen to-day, Son of man and angels say,

Raise your joys and triumphs high; Sing, ye heavans and earth reply.”

(Charles Wesley)

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Thanks to God my Redeemer,

Thanks for all Thou dost provide!

Thanks for times now but a memory,

Thanks for Jesus by my side!

Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,

Thanks for dark and stormy fall!

Thanks for tears by now forgotten,

Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,

Thanks for what Thou dost deny!

Thanks for storms that I have weathered,

Thanks for all Thou dost supply!

Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,

Thanks for comfort in despair!

Thanks for grace that none can measure,

Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,

Thanks for thorns their stems contain!

Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,

Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!

Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,

Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!

Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,

Thanks through all eternity!

August Ludvig Storm, Swedish Salvation Army 1891

Easter Sunday - 5th April

“Christ the Lord is risen to-day, Son of man and angels say,

Raise your joys and triumphs high; Sing, ye heavans and earth reply.”

(Charles Wesley)

May 1st Feast Day of St Philip and St James

May 15th - International Day of Families

“Heavenly Father, please shine your light upon all families throughout the World. Give them strength to overcome their diffi-culties now and in the future, please lead them and guide them and may they know your loving healing presence Lord” Amen.