kingston united reformed church september 2011 · kingston united reformed church september 2011 ...

Church News September 2011

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News Kingston United Reformed Church September 2011 www.kinstonurc.org

Edited this month by David Richards

This edition has all the usual features, our Minister‗s letter,

notices, pastoral news, ―thank you‘s‖ and appeals for your help.

We feature the Youth and children's report and news of friends

and church members. Plans about a Child Contact centre.

The IBRA bible reading recommendations are listed and news on

Bible study and 400th anniversary celebration

Progress on the Kitchen refurbishment is included

Liz Cook asks about volunteering and Finlay Forbes sets out a

Doric poem. Ann MacFarlane enjoys the summer

Look out for free fitness sessions

Pilots is a non-uniformed Christian organisation, sponsored

by the URC and Congregational Federation. It has four age

groups Deckhands 5-6 year olds, Adventurers 7-10 year olds,

Voyagers 11-14 year olds and Navigators 15-18 year olds all

of whom can work for badges.

We are starting a Pilots here on a Friday from

23rd September.


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Church Diary

For regular Church Activities for Parents & Toddlers, International Friendship Café, Street pastors and Dancing see page 23

Sunday, 28 August 10:00 Traditional worship

Greenbelt 11:30 Interactive worship with communion

18:30 Reflective worship

Monday, 29 August Late Holiday

Wednesday, 31 August 10:00 Parents & Toddlers + older siblings

13:10 Lunchtime service

Saturday, 3 September Open gardens, Summer 2011 - Katie Frost

Sunday, 4 September 10:00 Traditional worship with communion

11:30 Interactive worship


Monday, 5 September 10:00 Parents & Toddlers - toy washing

Tuesday, 6 September 19:30 Faith advancement

W e d n e s d a y , 7

September 10:45

Monthly Forum: Peter Ashdown -

'London you may not know'

13:10 Lunchtime service

19:50 Elders' meeting

Sunday, 11 September 10:00 Coffee available

11:00 11 o'clock service

12:00 Church Meeting

Copy deadline Church News for October;

editor: Bron Robinson


Tuesday, 13 September 19:30 Faith advancement

Wed. 14 September 13:10 Lunchtime service

Friday, 16 September CHURCH WEEKEND

CHURCH WEEKEND

Sunday, 18 September CHURCH WEEKEND

10:00 Traditional worship

11:30 Interactive worship

18:30 Reflective worship with communion

Tue, 20 September 19:30 Faith advancement

Wed. 21 September 13:10 Lunchtime service

Friday, 23 September Pilots commence

Sunday, 25 September Publication date October Church News

10:00 Traditional worship

11:30 Interactive worship with communion



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Minister’s letter

Dear All,

Since the beginning of our faith we

have always known that crowds were

dangerous. ‗Crucify him' echoes only

a week after ‗welcome Son of David‘

has been shouted loudly as Jesus

enters Jerusalem.

What makes the stories so powerful is that the people are like

us. It is not that they are the personification of evil. The crowd

was swept along unthinkingly. The individuals were going

with the group and going with the flow.

This temptation is all around. During August it was in the mix

of things that resulted in homes and businesses being

destroyed and looted. Saying ‗no‘ when everyone else is

shouting ‗yes‘ is the challenge for the most mature.

How are you to have a strong enough ‗moral compass‘ to

keep on doing the right thing? That is part of why we are part

of the church. It is not that we think we are superior. It is that

we know our weakness. We know that we are not the only

ones trying to do good. We know we need help to keep on the

straight and narrow..

At the best in our churches we are dominated by our desire to

be part of what is true. Not what is fashionable and what is

now. It takes time to work that out. It takes courage, energy

and resources to stick with it. People need help to do so. How

will we do that?

It also bears saying that Emily who is leaving us is heading

into North London. We know she will bring her many skills

and generous nature as she has shared them with us. Pray for

her as she makes this transition. We are going to miss her.

Yours Lesley


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Publication of September‘s Church News traditionally coincides more or less

with the date on which voting papers for elections to the following year‘s

eldership are sent out to church members. The papers go out at the

beginning of September and are due back by the end of the month.

Elders are elected to serve in three year terms. If re-elected at the end of

their first term, they may serve a second three year term before having to

stand down. They then have to wait a year before being eligible again for

election.

This year it is only Ray Erskine who will have completed six years as an elder

(2006 - 2008 and 2009 - 2011). We are indebted to her for all the time,

commitment and energy she has put into her work for the church over the

last six years. There seems to be little in which she has not been involved,

but her youth work – both hands-on and at the helm of the Youth Group –

stands out in particular. Tony Wenman too will be standing down at the end

of the year. After almost continuous service as an elder since KURC came

into being, he has decided to resign in order to avoid clashes with his

commitments to the work he does at King‘s College London on religious and

spiritual education. Our sincere thanks to Tony, too. And finally, Cathy

Seymour and Heinrich Niehaus, whose first terms come to an end this year,

have chosen not to stand for a second term. Thanks you, Cathy and

Heinrich, for all you have both brought to the eldership over the last three

years.

The following eight elders will be continuing in office for 2012:

Experience suggests that 15 is an optimal number of elders (including the

Secretary) to aim for. This means that we shall be looking for a further seven

people to elect to the KURC eldership for 2012.

If you are a member of KURC, please don‘t miss this opportunity to influence

the future of YOUR church by voting.

Vaughan James

1st term 2

nd term

Alistair Borthwick 2011 - 2013

Janine Goddard 2010 - 2012

Teresa James 2010 - 2012

Vaughan James 2010 -

Rose Oming Bali 2010 - 2012

David Richards 2011 - 2013

Martyn Verge 2007 – 2009 2010 - 2012

John Watts 2011 - 2013 2011 - 2013

Vaughan’s view


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Out of care for people's privacy, Personal Concerns from will

be deleted from the web edition of Church News.

Anyone wishing to receive the full edition of Church News by

e-mail should send an e-mail to

<[email protected]>

and arrangements will be made to send them a pdf file of

each edition as it is published

Letter from Jo McGee Dear Lesley and everyone at KURC.

I would like to say a huge thank you for making Amelie‘s baptism such a

special occasion. It was lovely to come back and feel so welcome, I wish I

could transport you all to Guildford.

The Bible you gave Amelie is beautiful and will be really precious to her in

years to come. The boys love the books you gave them—Ben often asks

for the book about Jesus (I‘ve been trying to explain it is a story by Jesus!)

They also love Amelie‘s toddler bible which I trying to save for her.

I also want to write a very belated thank you for the Amazon voucher you

gave us when we first left Kingston URC. We use it to smarten up the boys

bedroom with fun accessories—including pirate hooks and an atlas for us

so we won‘t get lost – hopefully.

Ir was really lovely seeing everyone- we do keep up to date with reading

the news letter – a big thank you once again.

All the best from

Jo, John, Josh, Ben and Amelie PS

After lots of battling, Josh has finally had a grommets in and adenoids out and has now

started to say a few words. As you can imagine we are overjoyed

Pastoral News at 14th

September 2011

mailto:[email protected]


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Kitchen Refurbishment

What is happening with the kitchen project? Well, as you know we have

been doing a lot of fundraising, headed up by Bron Robinson.

I was asked to set up a group to plan the Kitchen Refurbishment and we

are now called The Kitchen Development Group (KDG). This group

consists of me Alison Holt, Bron Robinson, David Richards, Ray Charlton,

Murray Carnegie, Liz Cook and Sandra Scott.

Liz and Sandra are busy making applications to Trusts we think might

support this project.

The most recent event was the extremely successful Auction of Promises.

This was a great evening; our auctioneer set the tone for the evening by

keeping it light hearted. The audience were in good form and keen to

participate in the bidding process and the promises kept flooding in on

the night. We raised a staggering £4,170 with further donations arriving

afterwards. A big thank you goes to all involved, whether it was making

the promises, bidding or helping on the night with food etc.

Special thanks go to John Fisher who pulled together the exhibition of

Heirlooms and Archives. At present the Kitchen Fund is sitting at just

over £18,000, which is a great start.

Bron is heading up fundraising and more things are planned for the

autumn. We have also done some initial kitchen planning, questionnaires

have been completed by users of the kitchen, talking to other churches

that have recently refurbished their kitchens and made enquiries to

Kitchen Consultants to see what they can do to help us get the best out

of our kitchen.

Our hope is to get funds in place so we can carry out the refurbishment

in August 2012. I know this is a tight timescale, but we really do need to

get it done sooner rather than later. We need your support for this and

not just giving, we need your prayers that we make the right decisions.

It is a fabulous resource we have and it allows us to help others through

projects like Cook and Eat and the Homeless Shelter in the winter. We

will keep you posted on our progress, so watch this space!

Alison Holt

A break in the Auction for refreshments


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Kitchen Fundraising – dates for your diary!

Saturday 3rdSeptember from 2:30pm:

Open Gardens – the last chance for this summer is at Katie Frost’s

house.

Saturday 8th October from 7pm:

Harvest Supper and Autumn Show – get some friends together and

perform. Music, poetry, sketches.

The Summer Show last year was great fun last time and raised lots

of money too!

Saturday19th November from 7.30pm:

Cheese and Wine Evening and Christmas Fayre. Taste fantastic local

cheese and wine under the expert guidance of John Parrish.

There will also be a chance to buy seasonal produce donated by

church members and friends (we hope!) and local businesses.

If you can make cakes, puddings, decorations, cards etc, then we

want to hear from you!

Milk bottles full of small change Do you remember these?

Have you filled another one yet? Please bring them into church on

any Sunday and give to Bron, Alison, Alistair Borthwick or Dave

Richards.

Beyond The Welcome

Once a year the Pastoral Co-ordinators hold an ―open‖ afternoon for

Church Neighbours and anyone from the congregation who would

like to attend

This year the event is being held on Sunday, 9 October, at 3 pm

(tea & biscuits) for 3.15 pm.

The afternoon will be led by our own Elrika Erasmus on ‗Beyond the

Welcome‘. This theme fits in very well with the URC‘s national

campaign to be launched next year when we hope to welcome

more new people to KURC. Elrika is a Psychologist and wrote some

helpful articles for Church News a few years ago. We look forward

to hearing more.

Jean Thompson on behalf of the Pastoral Co-ordinators


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Golden Wedding THANK YOU

WE would like to thank you all very much for the beautiful flowers

given to us for our Golden Wedding Anniversary. They came as a

lovely surprise and the kind thought was much appreciated.

Rita and Eric Lavender

Do You Have a Spare Room?

Kingston University needs more lodgings in private homes for its

international exchange students. These students (mostly from Europe and

the USA) come to Kingston for one semester only to have an experience of

life and study in the UK. Staying in a local lodging is an important part of

the exchange experience for many students. Students self-cater whilst in

lodgings.

You would be asked to provide:

a furnished bedroom, including bed, desk, chair and storage;

access to the kitchen for the student to prepare their own meals;

access to the bathroom; and

bedding and cooking utensils/equipment

Rent is typically £85-£100 per week, and the commitment is for one

semester only (half the academic year).

More details can be found at: http://www.kingston.ac.uk/accommodation/

landlords/lodgings/

Or contact: Kingston University Accommodation Service: 020 8417 3829

[email protected]

Rev. Stan Brown Kingston University Chaplain

Flower Rota

Sept 4th Fran and Phil Bevan

Sept 11th He Jung Kim and Suk In Lee

Sept 18th Evelyn White

Sept 25th The Clegg Family in memory of Kathleen and Alan

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/accommodation/landlords/lodgings/

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/accommodation/landlords/lodgings/



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International Bible Reading Association

IBRA, a part of Christian Education, is an international organisation work-

ing to encourage regular Bible reading around the world, by publishing Bi-

ble reading schemes and notes and by funding organisations in develop-

ing countries through our International Appeal.

Each year, IBRA produces a scheme of daily Bible readings. This is linked

to the readings in the Revised Common Lectionary, which is used by most

churches, and forms the basis for all IBRA's annual

publications of Bible reading notes, house group ma-

terials and notes for speakers.

You can see the reading on their web site.

http://www.christianeducation.org.uk/ibra.htm

Here is the list for the next month

Text for the week: Matthew 20:18-19

Monday 29 August Matthew 20:1-16

Tuesday 30 August Matthew 20:17-28

Wednesday 31 August Matthew 20:29-34

Thursday 1 September Matthew 21:1-17

Friday 2 September Matthew 21:18-32

Saturday 3 September Matthew 21:33-46

Text for the week: Matthew 22:8-9

Monday 5 September Matthew 22:1-14

Tuesday 6 September Matthew 22:15-33

Wednesday 7 Sept. Matthew 22:34-46

Thursday 8 September Matthew 23:1-12



Text for the week: Matthew 24:36

Monday 12 September Matthew 24:1-14

Tuesday 13 September Matthew 24:15-31

Wednesday 14 Sept Matthew 24:32-51

Thursday 15 Sept Matthew 25:1-13



Text for the week: Psalm 91:11-12

Monday 19 September Psalm 103:19-22

Tuesday 20 September Genesis 16

Wednesday 21 Sept. Genesis 28:10-17

Thursday 22 September 2 Kings 6:8-17

Friday 23 September Daniel 10:4-21

Saturday 24 September Psalm 91

Text for the week: Luke 22:43

Monday 26 September Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday 27 September Luke 22:39-43

Wednesday 28 Sept. John 1:47-51

Thursday 29 September Acts 12:1-11

Friday 30 September Revelation 5

Saturday 1 October Revelation 12

Editor,s note. At least one church member has said how much they

value the list which provides them a discipline for Bible study.

http://www.christianeducation.org.uk/ibra.htm


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Kiva

About 3 years ago my grandson gave me a Christmas present of a loan

certificate to Kiva.

I ―spent‖ the certificate on a loan to a woman in Peru. She wanted to

enlarge her small chicken business. After 6 months the loan was repaid

and I then loaned it again to a man in Tanzania who was starting a new

business. Half that loan has now been repaid.

You may wish to provide a loan yourself??

So what is Kiva

Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through

lending to alleviate poverty. Using the internet and a worldwide network of

microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 (about

£16) to help create opportunity around the world.

Learn more about how it works at http://www.kiva.org/about/

how

Since Kiva was founded in 2005 in America there has been:-

607,731 Kiva lenders . $232 million (£145) in loans 98.79% Repay-

ment Kiva works with: 135 Field Partners, 450 volunteers around

the world 59 different countries

Why do Kiva do what they do ?

They dream of a world where all people - even in the most remote areas of

the globe - hold the power to create opportunity for themselves and oth-

ers.

How they do it

Making a loan on Kiva is so simple that you may not realize how much

work goes on behind the scenes. Kiva works with microfinance institu-

tions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to tradi-

tional banking systems. One hundred percent of your loan is sent to these

microfinance institutions, which we call Field Partners, who administer the

loans in the field.

Kiva relies on a world wide network of over 450 volunteers who work with

our Field Partners

How they funded

100% of the money you lend via Kiva goes directly towards funding loans;

Kiva does not take a cut.

They are incredibly thankful for the support that has enabled them to do

the work that has touched the lives of so many people.

David Richards


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Activity Days We have held 12 Activity Days this year with 122 children and young people attending in total and approx 35 at each session. This is similar to 2009/10 After spending last year going around the world for our morning activity day themes for 3-9 year olds, from September 2010 we have been working through the A-Z of Bible Characters. We have looked at Adam, Abraham, Bartimaeus, Christ and Christmas, David, Elijah, etc. and will continue through the alphabet. The older group have contributed a major insert in Church News including an interview with the new church secretary, been climbing at Chessington Community College, been to the cinema, cooked, watched films and many other things. Brigades Numbers have been highly variable particularly in the younger age range where we have lost a lot of children, but have gained a number in the older sections. Over the course of the year 53 children and young people have attended with a core of approx. 25. Last summer for the first time we held a summer programme with activities on Wednesday afternoons for Juniors and Fridays for Seniors. These were mostly outdoors and included trips to Bushy Park and kite flying, cycling, treasure hunts, a visit to Vauxhall City Farm in the rain, a visit to the seaside, to the Science Museum and to the Imperial War Museum.

During the year, we have met and thought about how different animals are cared for, worked on the Christmas gift service, made dinner for the night shelter, and learnt about Joseph and Moses. We have been cycling and night hiking, and are looking forward to a trip to Chessington World of Adventures. We have welcomed a new volunteer Daniel, an 18 year old from Tolworth and celebrated both his and

Megan’s 18th birthdays. We are about to say ‘Good bye’ to Jason who leaves us to join the army. Both Jacob and Jason completed their BB officers training this year. In 2011 we began exploring the option of Pilots and whether that was a better ‘fit’ for Kingston URC than Brigades and after discussion with the children, parents and two church meetings it was decided to take the step of moving from Brigades to Pilots from September 2011. Cook and Eat We have held two courses this year in partnership with the NHS and RBK. The

Kingston URC Youth & Children

Report 2010—11


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first in the autumn was for a slightly younger group of 16 year olds and the second was a group of 17-19 year olds. Both groups enjoyed the course, learnt new skills and for a few this was a rare opportunity for them to complete and achieve something. We even celebrated a 16th birthday at the course, with a cake which the young people baked. RBK are intending to run their drop in, in our building from June and to do cooking in some of their sessions.

Greenbelt Last summer 6 intrepid girls plus Jacob, Jayne and Emily joined the Synod group at Greenbelt for the usual mix of ridiculous hats, music, art, drama, swimming and worship with 3D glasses. In order to raise some funds they had washed cars and taught people to use computers. This summer we are once again joining forces with the synod group and the hats are already being aired.

Parents and Toddlers In Parents and Toddlers the numbers have been up again this year to the extent that we had to close the Monday list to new people. Tuesday and Wednesday have as a consequence also been very busy. During the year we have bought some new toys including a highly popular green and blue scooter and some prams. Singing remains popular and we have held services at Christmas, Easter and at the end of the Summer Term. We have a number of children leaving us and hope to be able to welcome some new families in September. Stay and Play Stay and Play meets on the third Saturday of the month. Numbers have remained small, but the group is valued by those who attend. We made a Christmas cake in December, decorated tiles and have enjoyed the Scalextric and a light-up ball. Some of the mums have learnt a new skill too as Christina and Ray taught a few to knit. The important stuff (Bible Study) Three of the original ALF group wanted to continue to meet so in the Autumn and Spring terms we held a bible study called The Important Stuff. The Scripture Union materials provided us with animations to watch, computer and other games to play, craft and prayer ideas as well as actually reading the bible! Pat, Sue, Sally and Emily have been involved and it has been an interesting and enjoyable experience for all. YPSG (Young People’s Sunday Group) We’re still here! Every Sunday there are activities during the 10:00 service in room 14 for children of any age who are happy to leave their parents (although parents are welcome to come and help their children settle). This usually involves a bible or

(Continued from page 11)


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related story, some craft, games and a prayer. For the 11.30 service we provide activities for children in the church and other activities as requested by the worship leader. For the 11:00 service on the second Sunday of the month we provide activities in the worship space. There are always quiet toys, colouring and books at the front of the worship space behind the pulpit for anyone who would rather stay with their parents. Child Friendly Church Award This year we have again completed an internal review of our Child Friendly Church

Award in readiness for the external re-accreditation in 2012. Children and young people have been involved in the discussions about Pilots, have presented their thoughts to church meeting, attended the church day. Lara has been involved in the Synod Youth Executive.

Safeguarding We continue to keep the Safeguarding policy and associated risk assessments up to date. The big change this year has been thinking through taking groups out cycling. In the next year we will have to look into a Facebook policy as the young people reach 13 and want to use this technology. Turning the Tide Funding After 10 years our funding from the synod Turning the Tide fund ceases in December 2011. This means that we have lost £10,000 per year funding for our youth work, on the other hand we no longer have an obligation to provide support for synod youth and children’s work activities. In the future… Supported Child Contact Centre ** This year we have been exploring the need for a Child Contact Centre in Kingston. Having spoken to solicitors in the area, to Welcare and CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) we have begun to recruit volunteers, are affiliating to the National Association of Child Contact Centres and are working towards opening on Sundays from October. (**see the notice on page 15 ed)

Pilots Pilots is a non-uniformed Christian organisation, sponsored by the URC and Congregational Federation. It has four age groups Deckhands 5-6 year olds, Adventurers 7-10 year olds, Voyagers 11-14 year olds and Navigators 15-18 year olds all of whom can work for badges. We are starting this on a Friday from September. Volunteers

Volunteers are what make all of this happen. We would have no youth and

children‘s work without them. We always need more. At present our need is

for people to help with Parents and Toddlers, Activity Days, Pilots

opportunity for you! A big thank you to all our volunteers. You are stars!

Emily


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Our friend Mike Simpson

Mike Simpson revisits his gold Duke of Edinburgh Expedition after 50

years

Many Kingston URC members will know Mike Simpson, the Environmental

Health Officer who frequently acts as a consultant for the Church on

Health and Safely issues.

Mike and with his friend Graham

Sheppard recently completed a

venture to re-trace the steps of

their original Duke of Edinburgh

gold expedition on Exmoor. They

initially completed this expedition

together 50 years ago when they

we re bo t h Ar my Me d i ca l

Apprentices. This time the aim of

the expedition was to raise money

for two charities: the Prince‘s Trust

and Help for Heroes. Mike said ―It is our way of saying thank you for the

gateway the army gave us to good careers in an era when the military

threat was low.‖

The pair used Mike‘s original log of the expedition which involved an 80

mile trek over rugged Exmoor terrain in 72 hours. Mike, now in his 60‘s,

said before he started, ―Recent training runs over the route have

confirmed our fears - it‘s even tougher now.‖ Arriving at the start of the

expedition in Minehead on the 28th

May by steam train, as they had done

50 years earlier in 1961, they were given a good send-off by press and

supporters. Despite wet weather the pair completed the challenge

successfully.

They have raised almost £6000 for their chosen charities so far – a

tremendous achievement. The Duke of Edinburgh Organisation has

confirmed that this is the first time anyone has ever repeated their original

expedition 50 years on. In fact the expedition caught the attention of the

Organisation who invited Mike and Graham to receive a special ―Use Gold‖

award from the Duke himself at St James‘

Palace.

You can read about the expedition at

www.goldenoldies.blog.co.uk

Lizzie Cronin


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Wheat and weeds

On Sunday 17th

July the gospel reading was the story of the weed and the

crops (Matthew 13 v 24- 30), and in the sermon I discussed some possible

interpretations of the story. I asked members of the congregation to

consider their interpretation/ideas about the story. Here are some that

reached me:

* Note that although the 'wheat' is harvested, that is not the end of the

story, because there is the promise of eternal life. A few verses on,

Jesus himself interprets the parable and explains that the wheat/

righteous will shine in the kingdom of Heaven

* The wheat and corn are but carefully selected and nurtured cousins of

the weeds and share not-so-very distant common ancestors of wild

grasses.

* The message of the story is less that we cannot tell the difference

between weeds and corn as Lesley suggested, more that it is not for

us to judge.

* The message is that wheat/good and weeds/bad can and should live

and grow alongside each other till 'harvest time'. Each nourishes each

other ..... perhaps neither can thrive and grow without the other?

* Further there's a risk that 'good' wheat gets lost/destroyed, as the

'bad' weeds are removed although not sure what that means.

What do you think? Church News editors would be happy to publish your

thoughts on the subject.

Lesley Charlton

CHILD CONTACT CENTRE

Things are moving ahead with getting our Child Contact Centre off the

ground. Kathy Bayne, Regional Support Manager (Greater London) for

the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) has visited

the premises and considers them ideal.

We already have some volunteers and have arranged a meeting with

Kathy on Sunday, 25 September, at 3 pm at the church to which the

volunteers are being invited. Of course, we need more, and if you feel

you could help, even in a small way, please come along on the 25th

.

Kathy is very experienced in this field and has a wealth of knowledge

to pass on.

Jean Thompson (Admin)


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Link Romania were delighted with the response to last year's appeal for

boxes of gifts for people in Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. A record

45,379 boxes were collected from the UK and delivered to families in these countries last Christmas.

The photos show some of the recipients: a prisoner and his family in a high security

prison in Sophia, Bulgaria, a 47 year old

lady in Moldova who is unable to walk and a family in Romania who share a single

small room. All were delighted with the

gifts they received.

KURC's appeal will begin shortly. Shoe boxes will be available in the

Hall from the second week in September. Please take one (or more if you wish) together with a leaflet which is returned with the wrapped

box and £2 towards the cost of transport to eastern Europe.

A reminder that the boxes are for families, so ideally gifts will be suit-

able for men and women as well as children, and for a range of ages. The shoe boxes will be collected in on Sunday October 23rd at the 10

and 11.30 services. They can be dropped at

the church before that if you are unable to at-tend on the day.

For further information contact Jean Ashdown (020 8297 2781) or Liz Bartlett (020

8974 5453)

Romania Shoebox Appeal

Johnson Simpson reports regularly on events in Zimbabwe and Jamaica

Johnston is an Elder at St Andrews Walton on Thames and a regular at the

KURC Wednesday Forum.

Read his latest report on the St Andrews web site at:-

http://standrewsurc.org/home.html

Johnson is responsible for bringing the Art Peace sculptures

to the UK from Zimbabwe

Read and see what is available to purchase to

support the artists in Zimbabwe


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CYCLE in SEPTEMBER

The Surrey Churches Preservation Trust‘s annual

―Ride or Stride‖ takes place on Saturday 10th Sep-

tember – last year we raised nearly £1000, of which

half went to the Kitchen Project.

Most counties hold a Bike Ride on the second Satur-

day in September, to raise money for special appeals

at their churches. Cyclists and walkers follow their

own route around participating churches (we always

host visitors at KURC), and they seek sponsors for each church visited.

The money that is collected is divided into two; half goes to the

church of the cyclist‘s choice (ie. KURC), half to the SCPT for churches

in need. Bike Riders in Surrey have raised over £200,000 in ten years.

Kingston URC received a grant from SCPT when the church roof was

mended eight years ago.

We will be cycling again this year, to raise money for the Kitchen Pro-

ject. It will be a fun way to spend Saturday September 10th whilst

supporting this cause – can you find some sponsors and join us?

Or decide to walk, and visit a few churches on the list? Sponsor forms

will be available shortly. Speak to Liz Cook as soon as you like, let her

know you are hoping to join in. . Liz can be contacted on 020 8549

1373, and [email protected] This event is very well organ-

ized, with safety as a key issue.

Four of us did the cycle ride last year, raising funds for the kitchen,

and the welcome at a number of churches was really heart-warming;

the exercise was good, and we discovered some parts of Kingston

we‘d never seen before!

Liz Cook.


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Kew Gardens, bathed in sunshine

It‘s a Sunday afternoon in July and the 65 bus from Eden

Street has taken me right to the Victoria Gate at Kew

Gardens. On the journey I reflected on the morning

worship theme focusing on the tiny seed, the priceless

pearl, the importance of ‗small things‘ that make a

difference. (Matt.13 vv19-23 and 46). On arrival I headed

for the cafe, enjoying tea in sunshine. On my ride through the trees to

the lakeside at Sackler‘s Crossing a child ran ahead of me, laughing,

delighting in the long grassy space that stretched endlessly before him, a

parent chasing from behind. The boy, in his excitement laughed louder as

he tried to catch sight of his father and almost fell. He ran on and on until

his energy expended, stopping to grip his father‘s hand.

The smell of pines and firs floated on the breeze and couples contentedly

swung their arms as they walked, their hands clasped together. On the

water, swans splayed their wings and Canada geese warded off coots

encroaching on what they deemed to be their territory. Trees stretched

upwards and outwards in summer growth towards a tapestry of azure and

white. A child, her face framed in dark ringlets, clothed in a lilac sundress,

pretended not to hear her mother‘s plea, ‗Don‘t get your feet wet.‘ The girl

tentatively dipped her toes in the water while plucking at daisies. Nearby a

family spread a tablecloth on the grass, their hamper revealing summer

fruits, rolls, cheese, meats, juice and wine. Sun hats and sunshades

shielded hot heads and people quietly engaged in conversation as they

leaned over the bridge observing the wildlife in the water below. The

Mother crouched beside the lilac clad child who gazed in wonder as a swan,

its wings wilding flapping, propelled itself across the lake. As I moved

away, I spied a peacock preening itself on an overhanging branch

belonging to a huge cedar tree.

For groups of people from across the world whose journeys may have been

long and arduous, or for others, like me, who have come a short bus ride,

it was a time of harmony, of exploration, of delight in the seemingly ‗little

and unimportant things.‘ For me, and others, it was a time of refreshment,

a space to think, to be at peace with the ‗now‘ in what seems for much of

the time a hostile world. Here, all my senses were engaged in what

appeared to be those ‗small and unimportant‘ things. I think not!

Ann McFarlane

Something else enjoying the sunshine.

This grass snake was found on our back

doorstep one sunny morning in July. It

was looking for a good home! David Richards


19

Free 6 week Healthy lifestyles courses starting Sept 2011

Nordic Walking: Hawker Centre, Tues 13th Sept, 10.30 am

Aquacise: Kingfisher Leisure Centre, Wed 14th Sept, 9.30 am

Body Balance: The Malden Centre, Thurs 15th Sept, 11.45 am

Fit as a Fiddle!

Are you over 50, live in the Borough of Kingston, and

want to lose weight, get fit, and improve your physical and mental

wellbeing?

Did you know that exercise can help reduce stress, depression, and

improve mental health?

So why not come and join us?

H

Contact: Grace Shorthouse, Tel: 020 8942 8256

Email: [email protected]

Write: Raleigh House, 14 Nelson Road, New Malden KT3 5EA

Age Concern Kingston upon Thames

Two exhibitions focussing on religious works of art:

Devotion by Design: Italian Altarpieces before 1500 6 July – 2 October 2011

at the National Gallery (Sainsbury Wing) Admission freerpieces in context

Using the Gallery’s own collection, this exhibition investigates the development of altar-

pieces. It examines not only the evolution of their physical structure but also their rela-

tionship to their frames and to the monumental architecture that surrounded them.

The parts of an altarpiece ‘Devotion by Design’ showcases altarpieces by well-known artists such as Piero della

Francesca, but includes many which are less familiar. It revisits works in the National

Gallery Collection in a fresh and innovative light, drawing on the wealth of scholarship

undertaken in this field in recent years.

AND

Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe

23 June – 9 October 2011 at the British Museum Adults £12, This major exhibition brings together for the first time some of the finest sacred treasures

of the medieval age. It features over 150 objects drawn from more than 40 institutions in-

cluding the Vatican, European church treasuries, museums from the USA and Europe and

the British Museum’s own pre-eminent collection.

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/piero-della-francesca

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/piero-della-francesca


20

VOLUNTEERS

Should we look for volunteers from beyond the church:

In the June Church News, an article

raised the issue of seeking

volunteers from beyond our

Members and Friends, to support

our work. This has been discussed

in the Community Ministry Group

and with Church Members:

At a meeting after morning worship

on 14th

August, Lesley talked of

our own Members as ‗disciples’

carrying out Christ‘s work in all

aspects of Church activity and

beyond. There is also a small

group of volunteers from outside

the Church who support our

activities, and we need to build on

this. The term ‗volunteer‘ helps

identify such people, who may

belong to other faith communities

and none but who, nevertheless,

are vital in our activities in

furthering Christ‘s ministry. The

need for help in providing a

‗Welcome‘ for all who come

through our doors is becoming

ever greater. The time is now!

To increase our outreach to

maximise the potential within the

life of this Church, and to co-

ordinate this effort, we need a Co-

ordinator for all our activities, to re-

establish a ‗Listening Service,‘ and

to give meaningful opportunities to

people who wish to offer their

talents and skills.

If you are uncertain about this way

of working, please read June

Church News and think about what

is happening world-wide and what

has recently occurred in some

areas of London and beyond, with

people expressing their frustrations in

ways that have left many people bereft.

Add to this, some of the frustrations

that have been vented by people

coming into our foyer who feel life is

unfair and where we know that there is

a huge gulf between those who ‗have‘

and those who ‗have not.‘ Many need

our prayers and many ask for them and

we have noticed this need growing as

Lesley has prayed in Sunday worship .

In the Community Ministry Group, we

have given serious thought over the

years to funding a paid Co-ordinator

who would have spiritual and practical

oversight of needs and would ensure

training and support for volunteers and

disciples. This would ensure that all

who offer to help will feel valued and

can undertake roles that strengthen our

ministry. This includes all who currently

work in the foyer and beyond. As a

Church, we have many privileges and

opportunities and we need to share our

resources with others who also have

much to offer and to teach us. We can

create an environment where we can

grow together and serve the broader

community even more than we do

already.

What do you think? Is this a good idea?

Does it meet needs? Will it further

Christ‘s work here on earth? Please

share your views on this proposal so

that we can gather constructive support

in planning and action. Please respond

either by email, leave a note in the

letter rack to Liz Cook, or speak with

her. We appreciate you reading this

article and responding.

Liz Cook

on behalf of the Community Ministry

Group.


21

URC SOUTHERN SYNOD

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE BIBLE

Workshops for exploring the scriptures

A Study Day for –

―Getting to grips with the Bible‖

For students, Bible Study Leaders

Occasional or regular preachers

Those considering further study

Any who wants to explore the subjects simply out of interest

Date: Saturday 19 November 2011, 10 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.

Venue: Crawley United Reformed Church, Worth Park Avenue, Pound

Hill, Crawley RH10 3DF. (1/4 mile from Three Bridges Railway Station

– frequent trains to London, East Croydon, Brighton, Arundel, etc.

2 ½ miles from M23 Junction 10: ample parking available)

For more information speak to Lesley or Vaughan.


22

This short poem I believe captures the essence of the season. The title trans-

lates as "One More Harvest".

The poem is in Doric but as a native speaker of that language I should have no

problem translating it into something comprehensible to those unfamiliar with

the linguistic glories of Scotland's North East Lowlands.

Even Her Reverence, hailing as she does from the South West, would struggle

with the lingo. (Her Reverence = Lesley M Charlton ed. )

By the way, the last word in the first line is what the French would call a faux

ami. It refers to the crop itself rather than to one of its propagating agents!

Kind regards

Finlay Forbes Ae Mair Hairst by: Garry, Flora

She promised weel aneuch — a heavy crap.

Bit a dull, mochy Simmer it wis, wi afa little drooth.

Some o‘s, ye‘ll min‘, gey forcey, cuttit ower green,

An syne the widder broke.

Caul‘, roch shooers drave doon on a nor‘east win‘.

The cattle oot on the girss

Wannert wi their backs up roun‘ the dykes,

Nivver ristin‘.

Aye the onding, aye the clorty dubs.

I‘ the howe a Ythan week efter weary week

The stooks steed tasht an water-loggit.

Mornin efter mornin yon fite haar

Cam‘ blawin in fae the coast.

Bit ae foreneen the win‘ swang roun‘ to the west,

The cloods were heich an licht,

The sky wis blue-er gin we‘d seen‘t a Simmer.

The howes firmt up. The strae began to reeshle.

Shaef efter shaef, we turn‘t the stooks wi wir han‘s

In tull the face a a strong sunshiny breeze

I‘ the cornyards, the smell o the ripened grain.

We workit hard, fyles by the licht o the meen,

Fyles on the Sabbath day,

An we got aff the grun‘, ae mair hairst!

An noo fae Mormond Hill as far‘s Bennachie,

The raikit stibble parks lie teem an quaet,

Wytin‘ for the ploo.

--------------------------------

The Estate of Flora Garry 1995

Flora Garry‘s Collected Poems are available from Steve Savage Publishers Ltd.

http://www.savagepublishers.com

Finlay Forbes looks ahead to Harvest


23

Regular weekly activities at our church

Monday:

10.00 Parents & Toddlers

(during school terms)

Tuesday:



19 30 Faith Advancement

Wednesday:



10.45 Wednesday Forum

(first Wednesday monthly

except August)

13.10 Lunchtime service

19 30 Line Dancing

Thursday:

19.00 International Friendship

Café

Friday:

14.00 Not Strictly Dancing

(Ballroom & Latin American

Dancing)

22.00 All night prayers and

Street Pastors (until

04:00)

Saturday:

14.30 Not Strictly Dancing

(Ballroom& Latin American

Dancing)

22.00 Street Pastors (until

04:00)

How to contribute to Church

News

Contributions on matters of

reflection and opinion as well as

reports of activities are welcome.

Copy for Church News must reach

the editor no later than midday on

the second Sunday of the month.

Electronic copy is preferred, by e-

mail or on CD. Typed or hand-

written copy (not more than 700

words if possible) should be left in

the editor‘s pigeon-hole opposite

Room 6.

The next copy deadline is 12

noon on Sunday, 11 September

2011.

Editor: Bron Robinson

Thank you to Mail Boxes Etc,

22 Eden St, Kingston, KT1 1DN, tel: 020

8547 1547

for printing Church News

Our web site blog

Did you know you can make a

comment and see what others are

saying on the KURC web site?

Click ―Follow us‖ at the bottom left

of the opening page — then

general—then comments.

Please add your comment or tell us

all about something you want to

www.kingstonurc.org

You can keep in touch with worship and activities at our church

through our website. Log on and subscribe to regular e-updates !

Listen to the Sermon and service


24

Kingston United Reformed Church - Information A warm invitation is given to all who read this magazine to come and

share in our services and activities.

Our Sunday Services:

Minister: Rev Lesley M Charlton

2 Regent Rd, Surbiton, KT5 8NL

Tel: 020 8399 4423

10:00 – Traditional Worship

(with communion first Sunday

monthly)

11:30 – Interactive Worship

(with communion on the last

Sunday monthly)


Associate Minister: Rev Suk In Lee

144 Malden Rd, New Malden, KT3 6DS

Tel: 020 8949 2070


Church Secretary: Vaughan James

18:30 – Reflective Worship

(with communion on the third

Sunday monthly)

114 Cardinal Avenue

Kingston, KT2 5SA

Tel: 020 8549 9967 E mail: [email protected] Church Treasurer: Robin Hoar

76 Langham Rd, Teddington, TW11 9HJ

Tel: 020 8977 1524

On the second Sunday of each

month a combined service at

11:00 replaces the 10:00 and 11:30

services.

Church Organist: Tony Wenman

7 Common Rd, Claygate, KT10 0HG

Tel: 01372 464709

Tea and coffee are served between

the 10:00 and 11:30 services,

before the 11:00 service on the

second Sunday and after the 18:30

service.

Premises Manager: Michael Brennan

Tel: 020 8549 1888


Premises are open from 08:00-18:00.

During the 10:00 service there are

group activities for children of all

ages. Children go to their group at

the end of the second hymn.

Visiting children are welcome to

join them.

Private Prayer: The Sanctuary is open all day (entry via foyer if main door shut). Coffee and Tea: Our foyer is normally open every weekday and Saturday from 11:00 until 14:00 for coffee and tea.

Kingston United Reformed Church

is a member of the Local Ecumenical Project in Kingston Town Centre with its partners All

Saints Parish Church in the Market

Place and Kingston Baptist Church, in Union Street.

A Listening Ear: If you would like to talk with someone about a matter of concern, speak to the coffee-server or get in touch with the Minister.

Charity No. 1131880



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