OOuuttrreeaacchh

The Parish Magazine of

St John’s Church

The Parish Church of St John Walsall Wood

St John’s Church the Heart of the Wood

St John’s Church the Heart of the Wood

The Parish Church of St John

High Street, Walsall Wood, Walsall, WS9 9LP

01543 372284 or 01543 360558

email: stjohnswalsallwood@btinternet.com

www.achurchnearyou.com/walsall-wood-st-john

Worship at St John’s

Sunday

8 am Holy Communion

9.30 Sung Eucharist and Sunday School and Crèche

Or Family Service (normally 2nd Sunday)

Or Morning Worship (normally 4th Sunday)

6.30 pm Evening Worship

Or Sung Eucharist (normally 2nd Sunday)

Or Celebration Praise (normally 4th Sunday)

Wednesday

10.15 Holy Communion with St John’s School

12.00 Prayers for Healing and Wholeness

Thursday

12.30 Holy Communion

Welcome

2016

2016

GGrroowwiinngg TTooggeetthheerr As I sit writing this article in our conservatory overlooking the garden

and despite the variable summer the garden is a riot of colour. Pots of

vibrant lilies, dahlias, anemones and begonias adorn the decking and

the foxgloves and sweet williams I grew from seed have been

magnificent. We still have gladioli and chrysanthemums to come in the

autumn. Sadly it's not all good news as I am disappointed with the

sweet peas and an army of caterpillars decimated the cabbages.

Growing things is a tricky business.

When I open a packet of seeds I always marvel at God's creation and

that each tiny seed has the potential to grow into a plant and provide a

rich harvest. When I sow those seeds I do so with a sense of

excitement and expectancy. If they do grow then plants have to be

nurtured, fed and watered, be protected from predators and possibly be

supported and staked. Time and effort is required.

I believe that God shares that same excitement and expectancy when

the seeds of faith are sown in us and he delights when we grow and

flourish, becoming his disciples and being witnesses and heralds for the

gospel.

Growing faith mirrors growing plants for to grow in faith we too have to

be nurtured, fed, supported and protected and we do that by reading

the Bible, engaging in study, sharing our stories and learning together.

Together we journey and walk the pilgrim route.

For the past few months a group of us have been working on revising

and updating our Mission Action Plan which sets out the vision for St

John's, what we hope to achieve and how we aim to move forward.

Essentially it is about sowing and growing the seeds of faith, growing

leaders and encouraging all people to discern God's will in their lives.

The Mission Action Plan is a living, working document based on the

Lichfield Diocesan five marks of growth and the plan invites everyone to

be involved and claim ownership of the plan. One of those five areas is

called Growing Disciples and in the autumn we hope to plan various

opportunities for us to learn and grow together. So watch this space.

In the meantime perhaps we could spend some time reflecting on our

own journeys and the enormous potential which still awaits us to serve

God and His church. In prayer we could ask God “Teach me God what

you want me to be and to do here at St. John’s.

Yours in Christ

John Pretty

SSuuddookkuu

WWoorrdd SSeeaarrcchh

Answers can

be found at

the rear of the

magazine

WWoorrdd sseeaarrcchh

10th July brought us Sea Sunday, the day when Christian churches

remember, pray and give thanks for the more than 1.5 million merchant

seafarers worldwide. If seafarers seem irrelevant to your daily life, think

again: 90 per cent of everything you buy in the shops comes to you by

sea. Merchant seafarers quite literally keep our global economy afloat.

Yet it is a tough life, far from loved ones. Merchant ships are harsh

working environments, never mind the threat of piracy or even

shipwreck.

To help the seafarers, a worldwide network of port chaplains has

sprung up. They offer hospitality and friendship, as well as practical,

emotional and spiritual support, providing almost a ‘home from home’ in

hundreds of ports, in more than 50 countries.

July

Sea

Sunday

Remember

Pray

Give

Thanks

Merchant

Seafarers

Daily

Shops

Economy

Afloat

Harsh

Working

Environments

Piracy

Shipwreck

Hundreds

global

Port

Chaplains

Hospitality

Friendship

Practical

‘‘AArrrryy’’ss BBiitt Hello folks, I was sitting on the patio a few days ago (we used to call it

the yard before we had it revamped), I was admiring the freshly mown

lawn and the flowers in the borders neatly and lovingly tended by Jenny

and our daughter Diane. The lawn was lush green and striped - it

looked a picture. Why didn't it look like that when I used to cut it? I

asked myself (Tim my son-in law does it now). “I've had the mower

sharpened” that's why I thought. I've also had new bearings fitted to the

blade. I then realized that I had always had the machine serviced on a

regular basis. As I gazed at the lawn I reflected on its history. When our

children were growing up it had a swing. It was a cycle track and dolls

prams were happily pushed around plus many other activities in the

make believe world of children took place. Then of course we had the

dog - dear old Tess, and we mustn't forget the rabbit. Now the rabbit

had the run of the garden and took rather a fancy to the flowers etc. To

protect

the plants I purchased a roll of wire netting and put an eighteen inch

high fence round the perimeter of the lawn, Two days later the rabbit

died! Not of starvation I hasten to add! Our grandchildren also spent

many happy hours playing on that same grass so it’s no wonder it

wasn't in the same pristine condition that it is now.

As I reflected on the part the lawn had played in the life of our family I

realized how precious the memories it holds are to me. Sometimes we

are so busy preparing for tomorrow that we forget to enjoy today and

find time to remember the happy times that yesterday still holds, yes

and the not so happy ones that have played such a fundamental part of

our lives. It is so important to find the time to look back and thank God

for all his goodness to us. Just as I have kept the mower in good order it

is important that we keep our church in good running order so that just

as Tim keeps our lawn good those who follow may continue to grow

Gods kingdom.

Harry Jackaman

SStt JJoohhnn’’ss CCeemmeetteerryy

I’ve seen another facet of life since becoming a volunteer to try to keep

our cemeteries in order and it makes me truly appreciate the hard work

that David did there for two years. He worked in the cemeteries most

days and, frankly, I’m surprised he did it for so long as the work is so

hard and arduous.

Our team of around half a dozen encourage each other to keep our

spirits up during the hard work. We try to spend at least half a day a

week working in the cemeteries, trying to find time to do so amid our

other many activities, ironically often cutting grass in the cemeteries

whilst our own gardens are in urgent need of work. On top of this, we

can only mow when the weather is favourable, which could mean that

we can’t work in the cemetery that week, while the grass continues to

grow. Despite pleas for more to help, few have come forward. What

didn’t help was when someone broke into our cemetery shed with an

angle grinder and stole a strimmer, blower and other equipment. Then

almost two months later the shed was again broken into and the fuel for

the mowers was poured over a fence panel and set alight so someone

had to call the Fire Brigade.

We had a bad start in the Spring as the sun and rain caused a massive

explosion in growth of the grass so that we can’t set the mower blades

lower otherwise they would keep jamming (even then they can jam fairly

frequently), so we never get the grass very short, meaning that when

we finally get round both cemeteries after about three weeks, the grass

can be up to over a foot high in places. The one good thing is that we

now have another mower so, provided we have the manpower, we may

be more capable of keeping the grass down more.

It makes your day if, when working in the cemetery, someone actually

thanks you, or chats to you as it makes you know that your hard work is

appreciated so encourages you in the hard work of tackling the grass. It

is in sharp contrast to some who totally ignore you as if you are part of

the cemetery furniture.

I compare tackling the grass in the cemetery to our daily life where we

try as hard as we can to tackle our sin, doing better at some times than

at others, but plodding on trying to do our best under often difficult

circumstances. All we can do is to do our best, often spurred on by

encouragement, support and understanding from others, for which we

are extremely thankful.

A Member of the Cemetery Team.

“On behalf of our church family I would like to sincerely thank the

volunteers in our new churchyard team for all their hard work and the

generous giving of their time. It is an onerous task which they undertake

for the benefit of both church and community, and for which they

deserve gratitude and deepest respect from us all.”

Nigel

Join us for

Join us for

at 11 am on

Saturday, 24th September

Faith, Fun, Friendship and Food for everyone.

ALL welcome.

Join us for our

on Sunday, 11th September

at 9.30 am.

MMaarryy SSuummnneerr –– ffoouunnddeerr ooff tthhee

MMootthheerrss’’ UUnniioonn This month the Mothers’ Union celebrates its 140th anniversary. It has a

lot to celebrate, what with four million members doing good work in 83

countries. That is a far cry from the modest circle of prayer for mothers

who cared about family life, which

is how it all began with a rector’s

wife, Mary Sumner.

Mary was born in late 1828 in

Swinton, near Manchester. When

she was four, her family moved to

Herefordshire. Mary’s father,

Thomas Heywood, was a banker

and historian. Her mother has

been described as a woman of

“faith, charm and sympathy” –

qualities which Mary certainly

inherited. Mrs Heywood also held

informal ‘mothers’ meetings’ at

her home, to encourage local women. Those meetings may well have

inspired Mary’s later work.

Mary was educated at home, spoke three foreign languages, and sang

well. While in her late teens, on a visit to Rome she met George

Sumner, a son of the Bishop of Winchester. It was a well connected

family: George’s uncle became Archbishop of Canterbury, and his

second cousin was William Wilberforce. Mary and George married in

July 1848, soon after his ordination. They moved to Old Alresford in

1851 and had three children: Margaret, Louise and George. Mary

dedicated herself to raising her children and supporting her husband’s

ministry by providing music and Bible classes.

When in 1876 Mary’s eldest daughter Margaret, gave birth, Mary was

reminded how difficult she had found the burden of motherhood. Soon

she decided to hold a meeting to which she invited the local women not

only of her own class, but also all the village mothers. Her aim was to

find out if women could be brought together to offer each other prayer

and mutual support in their roles as wives and mothers. That meeting at

Old Alresford Rectory was the inaugural meeting of the Mothers’ Union.

For 11 years, the Mothers’ Union was limited to Old Alresford. Then in

1885 the Bishop of Newcastle invited Mary to address the women

churchgoers of the Portsmouth Church Congress, some 20 miles away.

Mary gave a passionate speech about the poor state of national

morality, and the vital need for women to use their vocation as mothers

to change the nation for the better. A number of the women present

went back to their parishes to found mothers' meetings on Sumner's

pattern. Soon, the Mothers’ Union spread to the dioceses of Ely, Exeter,

Hereford, Lichfield and Newcastle. By 1892, there were already 60,000

members in 28 dioceses, and by 1900 there were 169,000 members.

By the time Mary died in 1921, she had seen MU cross the seas and

become an international organisation of prayer and good purpose.

GGooiinngg ffoorr GGoolldd This month sees the start of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, as the eyes

of the world focus on the games. A number of New Testament letters

make reference to Olympic sport including Hebrews: ‘Therefore, since

we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off

everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us

run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on

Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith’ (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The Christian life is compared to a race, but although we face struggles

and obstacles, there is a great crowd of witnesses cheering us on. We

have a heavenly Father who loves us and a Saviour who has run the

race before us. If we keep our eyes fixed on him, he will ensure we

finish the race.

During the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the

British athlete Derek Redmond was

running in the semi-finals of the 400

metres. About 250 metres from the finish

his hamstring tore. He fell to the ground in

pain and stretcher bearers came over to

him. However, Redmond wanted to finish

the race and so he started hopping toward

the finishing line.

Suddenly Jim Redmond, Derek's father, ran out of the stands towards

him. ‘You don't have to do this,’ he told his son. ‘Yes, I do,’ said Derek,

to which his father said, ‘We're going to finish this together.’ They

completed the lap with Derek leaning on his father's shoulder. As they

crossed the finish line, the spectators rose to give Derek a standing

ovation. Although he didn’t win an Olympic medal, Derek Redmond

finished the race with his father at his side. Let’s not forget the

encouragement we have to finish the race!

Millions felt sad at the news of the death of Muhammed Ali this summer. This article tells of the time that Muhammed Ali went to visit Billy Graham by Richard Bewes.

Remembering Muhammed Ali Well…. MY letter reached him – back in April 2005. For years I had

watched Muhammad Ali’s fights on TV, and now – aware of the

Parkinsons that was taking its severe toll on his health - I felt

constrained to write him a letter. I wrote as tactfully as I could – as a

minister of the Gospel.

The link between us was that we had both had the experience of visiting

the home, in North Carolina, of another ‘First’ in his own field; that of a

preacher who has spoken, face to face, to more people than any orator

- secular or religious – in all history…. the preacher Billy Graham. My

hope was that the world-renowned boxer might take the opportunity of a

return visit to a man who had earned his admiration and friendship….

and see him once again – for the last time. What might come out of

such a visit?

Much had come out the first time – when Muhammad Ali had evidently

developed a high regard for the world evangelist, and asked to meet

him. What secrets might lie behind one man’s ability to touch the many

millions of people who had walked forward in the world’s biggest

football stadiums, publicly to declare their faith in Christ? Over the

years, the American evangelist had been invited to no less than 148

countries to declare the Christian message. Millions more were to be

reached by films and satellite TV.

The three-time world heavyweight boxing champion duly expressed his

hope for a meeting, and arrangements were made for him to fly to

Asheville Airport, where he would be picked up and taken to the

Graham’s home in Montreat NC.

On landing, his first surprise was that – instead of being driven to

Montreat in a chauffered limousine – Billy Graham turned up in person,

and drove his guest himself – in a ten year-old Oldsmobile. “I thought

he’d live on a thousand acre farm,” Ali told the press afterwards. “We

drove up to his house made of logs. No mansion with crystal

chandeliers and gold carpets, but the kind of house a man of God would

live in. The Book says Christ will come as a thief in the night. I’m sure

God wouldn’t come bragging ‘I’m God’ – and neither did Mr Graham.

He’s a humble man.”

Ruth - Billy Graham’s wife - prepared and served a meal. At the end of

their five-hour session, Ali told the press that he had not wanted to talk

about boxing, but “about spiritual things.” He confided, “I had a lot of

questions I’ve been wanting to ask about Christianity. I asked them

today. He gave me answers. I cannot go into them beyond that. If I was

a Christian, I’d want to be a Christian like him.”

It was only years later that I felt impelled to write to the then ailing

Muhammad Ali - reminding him of his earlier visit to the Grahams. I

wrote: “I would really love you to take the opportunity to visit him again,

before the Lord calls him homewards… I so much long that you could

share in the beliefs that Billy has, and be assured eventually of a safe

haven in the immediate presence of Jesus Christ himself. I could not

bear to think of you – who have given so much pleasure to millions in

your own time – missing a last chance of talking with Billy, while he yet

has time left. You know he would welcome a visit from you. You are

BOTH ‘Firsts’ in your own respective fields!”

I was moved to receive a reply from ‘The Greatest of All Time, Inc’

(G.O.A.T.) at Berrien Springs MI. I was thanked for “your kind and

generous letter to Muhammad Ali. He sincerely appreciated hearing

from you. Mr Ali and the Rev Billy Graham share a venerable friendship

based on mutual respect and understanding. Mr Ali has been prayerful

about his friend’s health, and he thinks of Rev Graham often. Mr Ali

thanks you for your concern and care, obviously offered with sincere,

honourable intentions….”

And that was it. Who knows what seeds can be sown through a one-off

visit to a home where God is honoured – whether half way up a

mountain in Montreat or in an urban setting in Nairobi, Glasgow or

Tokyo?

.

Join us for

Hey Kids! come and join our

Come along to St John’s Church

at 6 pm every Wednesday (term time),

and help lead our monthly Family Service

Keep up to date with St John’s Church

Find us on Facebook St John’s Church, Walsall Wood

Follow us on Twitter @StJohnsChurchWW

or visit our web page at

www.achurchnearyou.com/walsall-wood-st-

john

WWHHOO AARREE WWEE?? All this talk about Europe and the post-referendum arguments about

identity have left me, and probably many people, wondering just who I

am. After all, this island is home to people of probably the most mixed

provenance in human history.

Way back, we were Celts, until our ancestors were driven back into the

mountains of Scotland and Wales. Then came the Romans, the Vikings,

Angles and Saxons, some to do a bit of pillaging and others to make

themselves at home. Then came 1066 and the French invasion, which

changed our language for ever.

Over the ensuing centuries we had various refugees from religious

persecution, Irish people in huge numbers when harvests failed, and

then more recently people from the Commonwealth, starting with the

recruitment of workers from the Caribbean in the nineteen-fifties and

then those driven from their homes by Idi Amin in East Africa. And so it

has gone on.

Yet here we are, quite clearly a nation, even if we don’t all look or sound

alike. We may feel at times that it would be nice if everyone was just

like we are, but deep down we know how boring that would be. It’s a

nice quiet afternoon exercise to map out our own answers to the

question ‘Who am I?’ What are the things that really make me who I

am? I’ve done my list. I am, I suppose, first and foremost Christian.

Then I’m British (English/Welsh), European (geography/culture), and a

member of the wonderful, multi-coloured, argumentative, richly

endowed but endlessly flawed human race.

In the words of the old Church of England catechism, which older

readers may remember, the answer to the question ‘Who are you?’ is ‘a

child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven’. Put it all

together, and I’d settle for that.

David Winter

Do come and join us for our next

CCeelleebbrraattiioonn PPrraaiissee An informal service where you choose all the hymns and songs

Sunday, 27th

August and

Sunday, 25th

September at 6.30 pm.

Hymns and songs are chosen for Celebration Praise using the

request forms which can be obtained from the church and returned

to our Director of Music, Mr Brian Worrallo.

GGaammee rruulleess During the local football game, the coach asked

one of his young players: "Do you understand

what cooperation is?” The little boy nodded yes.

"Do you understand that what matters is winning

together as a team?"The little boy nodded

yes. “Okay,” the coach continued, "do you also understand that when

the referee makes a decision, you don’t argue or curse or threaten to

attack him, right?"Again, the boy nodded vigorously. "Good," said the

coach. "Now go over there and explain all that to your mother."

SSmmiillee LLiinneess

Reward

A father of five children came home with a toy. “This is a reward for

being good,” he said. “Who is the most obedient one here? Who never

talks back to Mum and does everything that Mum says to do?”

There were a few seconds of silence, and then all of the children said:

“You play with it Daddy!”

True story

A vicar entered a Christian bookshop to buy a popular book title. “Do

you have ‘Time to Embrace’ please?” he asked. The astonished elderly

lady assistant responded by slapping him across the face.

Belonging

A vicar tells the true story of how, when he was a curate, the rector of a

nearby parish used to like not only to attend all the parish groups, but

also to identify himself with them by belonging to them, so that he could

address them as “We Scouts”, “We Rotarians,” etc. One day he went

too far and began: “We mothers….”

Fearless in the line of fire

A six year old girl was taken by her grannie to a very ‘high’ Anglican

church. Afterwards she tried to explain to her father what it had been

like. ‘They tried to run us out – they even brought in a smoke bomb and

shook it at all the people in the front row, but grannie wasn’t scared one

bit. We stayed until the very end.”

Who’s in charge

A child was asked why no man can serve two masters. He promptly

replied: ‘Because you are not allowed to have two wives.”

No peace

Some years ago the parish newsletter at Long Ditton, Surrey,

announced: “Prayers for peace this month have been cancelled

because of the new vicar

St John’s

Baby & Toddler Group

meets Mondays and

Fridays (term-time)

at 9.30 am in the Hall

�

Every Sunday at 9.30 (Except during Family Service)

During Term Time.

You’re Invited!

The Ark is our Children’s Club

for 8s to 12s

Friday evenings

during term-time

at 6.30

Just come along!

OOsswwaalldd –– aa kkiinngg wwiitthh ffaaiitthh,, ccoouurraaggee

aanndd hhuummiilliittyy Many Christians have indulged in wanting to do something spectacular

for God, which would be remembered for centuries afterwards. Oswald,

who lived from 605 to 642AD, was in a position to do so.

He was a King, whose father, Aethelfrith, was a great warrior who laid

the foundations of the great kingdom of Northumbria. But Aethelfrith

was killed by a rival, and Oswald was only twelve years old when he

was driven into exile with his elder sister and two younger brothers. For

their own safety, all were taken to Irish territory in the West of Scotland.

The three brothers were educated by the Christian monks on Iona.

Meanwhile, warfare raged in Northumbria, and in due course the time

came for Oswald to make a difficult decision. Should he remain in

safety, or return to claim his kingdom? In 632 his older brother led an

expedition there to sue for peace, but instead he was put to the sword.

It was a time of broken dreams and bitter grief for the young Oswald,

who must have spent many hours in prayer before he decided to risk

his life by following his brother south.

In his famous book, The Ecclesiastical History of England, Bede tells us

that Oswald prepared to meet his enemies Cadwallon and Penda in

battle on a December night at a place which is now called Heavenfield.

His small army was likely to be outnumbered and victory seemed

impossible. But that night, Oswald had a vision of St Columba, the

founder of Iona. Columba prophesied that Oswald would be king, and

reminded him of God's words to Joshua at the river Jordan, "Be strong,

and of good courage......for you will be the leader of these people as

they occupy this land."

Before battle commenced, Oswald made a rough cross from two young

trees and held it upright until soldiers were able to fill in the hole around

it. Then he led his army in a prayer that God would bring victory and

deliverance to his people. He also promised that if they survived, he

would send for missionaries from Iona to bring the Christian faith to

Northumbria.

Oswald's subsequent victory has become part of the region's folklore,

commemorated by the name of that battlefield and the more permanent

cross which now stands at Heavenfield. Many leaders would have

regarded such a triumph as the high point of their career, advanced to

the royal palace and quickly forgotten their promise to God. But Oswald

remained faithful, and in due course St Aidan arrived in the new

kingdom and made Lindisfarne the centre of his ministry.

Now it was time for Oswald to reveal a quality less frequently

associated with kings, but even more vital to the spread of God's work.

That quality was humility. As the sponsor and protector of Aidan, he

could easily have imposed his own agenda on this new mission. Such a

test came early, when Aidan

declined Oswald's offer of

resources at court in Bamburgh

Castle, and chose the remoter

location of Lindisfarne.

Not only did Oswald accept the

monk's decision gracefully; he

continued to spend many

uncomfortable weeks on the

road acting as Aidan's

interpreter. His willingness to

lay aside his kingly privileges

and play second fiddle to a

spiritual leader ensured that the

Gospel spread quickly through

the new kingdom and transformed many lives.

Within a few years, dark times returned to Northumbria. Oswald was

slain in battle and his brother Oswin succeeded to the throne. Penda

continued to wreak havoc with his marauding raids; on one famous

occasion, Aidan watched him attack the royal fortress as he prayed on

the Farne Islands, and it is written that his intercessions caused the

wind to change direction and beat back the flames from the castle

gates.

But through it all, the light of Christianity continued to flourish and grow.

Aidan is rightly remembered as the missionary who brought the good

news to Northumbria, but he could not have succeeded without Oswald,

the man who was brave enough to claim an earthly kingdom, yet

obedient enough to play a humbler role in advancing a heavenly one.

Prayer from the liturgy for St Oswald's day (5th August), written by the

Northumbria Community:

"I place into your hands, Lord, the choices that I face. Guard me from

choosing the way perilous of which the end is heart-pain and the secret

tear.

“May I feel your presence at the heart of my desire, and so know it is for

Your desire for me. Thus shall I prosper, thus see that my purpose is

from You, thus have power to do the good which endures."

(CopyrightNorthumbria Community Trust, 1996)

St Aidan of Lindisfarne

WWoorrdd SSeeaarrcchh aanndd SSuuddookkuu AAnnsswweerrss .. ..

NNeexxtt mmaaggaazziinnee

ddeeaaddlliinnee:: Anyone wishing to submit an article for

the October / November issue of the

magazine please do so by:

18th September by email to:

aedwards@st-johns.walsall.sch.uk

Or by hand to the church office

Thank you.

FFrroomm tthhee RReeggiisstteerrss

BBaappttiissmmss::

19th June Rome Alexander Hicken

26th June Libby May Owen

Eva Aurora Walker

3rd

July Quinn Symonds

17th July Noah David Upton

Archer George Selman

24th July Oliver George Bladen

Charlie Richard Marshall

May Christ dwell in your hearts

FFuunneerraallss

3rd

June Claire Peters 43 yrs

8th June John Henry Holloway 86 yrs

17th June Ruby Maley 77 yrs

7th July Beatrice Irene Cross 85 yrs

28th July Baby Thomas Martin Dean

May they rest in peace and rise to life eternal

Special Services and Activities

Baptism (Christening) Services are normally conducted at 2pm or 3 pm on

Sunday afternoon. Please contact us for available dates.

Messy Church meets monthly on Saturdays at 11am. For details of dates contact

us, visit our website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Sunday School meets in the Community Hall during the 9.30 am service.

The Ark (our Children’s Fellowship) meets on Fridays at 6.30 in the Community

Hall. Please contact us for details.

Memorial Services are normally held quarterly on a Sunday Evening. Please

contact us for dates.

Choir Practice (for our 9.30am and 6.30pm worship) takes place on Wednesdays

at 7.30 pm. Please Contact the Director of Music for further details.

Junior Choir Practice (for our 9.30am and 6.30pm worship) takes place on

Wednesdays at 7pm. Please Contact the Director of Music for further details.

Children and Young People’s Choir Practice (for our Familiy Service) takes

place on Wednesdays at 6 pm. All (aged 8 or over) welcome. Just turn up.

Group Activities

Monday 9.30am St John’s Baby and Toddler Group in the Hall

5.30 3rd Walsall Wood Rainbows in the Hall

7 pm 3rd Walsall Wood Guides in the Hall

Tuesday 1.30 Walsall Wood Women’s Institute (monthly)

5.45 Brownies in the Hall

Wednesday 5.15 2nd Walsall Wood Rainbows in the Hall

7 pm Weightwatchers in the Hall

Thursday 10 am Coffee Morning in the Hall

5 pm 1st Walsall Wood Rainbows in the Hall

7 pm 2nd Walsall Wood Guides in the Hall

Friday 9.30 St John’s Baby and Toddler Group in the Hall

6.30 The Ark (our Children’s Fellowship) in the Hall

WWhhoo’’ss WWhhoo aatt SStt JJoohhnn’’ss

VViiccaarr

TThhee RReevvdd NNiiggeell CCaarrtteerr

TThhee VViiccaarraaggee,, 22 SStt JJoohhnn’’ss CClloossee,, WWaallssaallll WWoooodd,, WWaallssaallll,, WWSS99 99NNHH

0011554433 336600555588 eemmaaiill::rreevv__nniiggeell__ccaarrtteerr@@bbttiinntteerrnneett..ccoomm

SSeeccrreettaarryy//PPAA MMrrss DDeebbbbiiee AAggggeetttt 0011554433 337722228844

LLooccaall MMiinniisstteerrss S J h ’s M s ry Te m:

Revd. Nigel Carter – Vicar Revd. David Sims Revd. John Pretty Mrs Denise Carter – Reader Miss Doreen Sears – Reader Mr Colin Roberts – Pastoral Care Worker

CChhuurrcchhwwaarrddeennss MMss SShhaarroonn HHooddggeettttss

MMrrss CChhrriiss DDoonnlliinn

PPCCCC LLaayy CChhaaiirr MMrrss AA EEddwwaarrddss

PPCCCC SSeeccrreettaarryy MMrrss VVaalleerriiee BBeennffoorrdd

vvaalleerriieebbeennffoorrdd11@@nnttllwwoorrlldd..ccoomm

DDiirreeccttoorr ooff MMuussiicc MMrr BBrriiaann WWoorrrraalllloo

TTrreeaassuurryy TTeeaamm MMrrss DDeenniissee CCaarrtteerr MMrrss PPaamm DDeebbnneeyy

MMrrss AAlliissoonn EEddwwaarrddss MMrrss GGiilllliiaann RRiiggbbyy

PPllaannnneedd GGiivviinngg MMrrss PPaamm DDeebbnneeyy

SSeeccrreettaarryy

CChhuurrcchh OOffffiiccee OOppeenniinngg TTiimmeess

For enquiries regarding Baptisms, Confirmation, Marriage, the Community hall or St John’s Churchyard, Brookland Road:

TTuueessddaayy,, WWeeddnneessddaayy,, TThhuurrssddaayy aanndd FFrriiddaayy 99..3300-- 1122 nnoooonn

SStt JJoohhnn’’ss CCEE PPrriimmaarryy SScchhooooll Brook Lane, Walsall Wood, WS9 9NA – 01543 452197

HHeeaadd TTeeaacchheerr MMrr AAnnddrreeww MMiillllss

Mrs Ann Betts – Reader Emeritus Mr Harry Jackaman – Reader Emeritus