Southey Street, CA12 4HH

NEWSLETTER

May & June 2015

The week after Easter I travelled down the country to Trowbridge to visit my son and his wife and my grandchildren. Now that may not impress you very much but you see every other time I have been to visit them since they moved there, I have been with my other son and my daughter and so I have sat in the back of the car relaxing while Graham drove the car.

But this time I was on my own which meant that I had to watch the motorway signs to make sure I came off at the right junctions. I had to keep focused and not allow myself to be led astray by anything so that I reached my goal, the end of my journey.

I wonder where our focus is as we look at our world today. In this country we find ourselves in a pre-election campaign, promises being made by the party leaders that they will make great changes as they try to influence the way we will vote on May 7th. We hear of terrorist atrocities, of threats to Christians from Islamic extremists, we are aware of the pandemic effect of disease and the trauma of natural disasters, and as I write we are reminded of the horrors of Belsen.

It makes us all question why? And it would easy to lose our

focus and our trust in God. But we have just celebrated the

resurrection of Jesus, of God’s Son who overcame the

suffering and torture of the cross, who knows what it is to cry

out in anguish and yet has never deserted us.

Minister’s Letter

Our focus needs to remain centred on Jesus who makes all

things new, who brings new life and offers it to all who turn to

him. Who walks alongside each one of us, just as he did with

the two on the road to Emmaus, who opens our eyes to his

love, his compassion, his care.

I finish with the words of an old hymn which amidst all the pain of this world draws our focus back to Jesus.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Saviour,

And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Every Blessing, Sue

Church Family News

We continue to have special birthdays within our church family. Earlier in the year Edna Preston had her 80th birthday and on 3rd June Betty Guest will be 100 years old. We send both our congratulations and best wishes!

There have been several of our congregation who have not been well recently and who have hospital appointments in the near future. We trust all goes well and wish them a speedy recovery.

We continue to remember our housebound members and all those not able to worship with us at this present time, including our friends Bob Burlington, Freda & Wilf Chambers, Greta Grave, Betty Guest, Olive Holland, Sylvia McNae, Adrian Thwaites, Nora Walton, and Eileen and Herbert Witherington.

The Crucifixion by John Stainer At Crosthwaite Church on Palm Sunday

Sung by a united choir from Churches Together in Keswick and

conducted by Ted Holt. Soloists were James Johnson (bass) and

Henry Howard (tenor). The organ was played by Mike Town.

Good Friday Walk of Witness

Easter - Trinity of Grace

Now the picture is complete,

now the story is fully told.

The jigsaw is finished:

the trinity of grace -

the cradle, the cross, the rising - dovetail together.

The cradle of the birthing: our God come amongst us,

in flesh to share the life we lead.

The cross of sacrifice: our God, loving us to death.

The rising of hope: our God, embracing us to eternity.

Our new day rises in resurrection light,

the long wilderness walk of Lent behind,

the darkness of the cross ended.

We approach you now, loving God,

with renewed joy in our song,

and strengthened hope in our hearts.

We worship, in the name and for the sake

of our living Lord, Jesus Christ.

Christian Aid Week in Keswick

Sat 9th May 10am – 12noon Coffee Morning with Cake Stall at Crosthwaite Parish Room

Mon 11th onwards House to House Collections

Sat 16th May Christian Aid Street Collection at Booths and in the town

Sun 17th May 10.45am Christian Aid Sunday Service

If you are able to:

Bake a cake for the coffee morning

Come to the Coffee morning

Deliver or collect envelopes for the House to House

Shake a tin on Saturday 16th

or help in any other way

please speak to Roy Ellis (73340)

Christian Aid Prayer Creator God, you loved the world into life.

Forgive us when our dreams for the future are shaped by anything other than glimpses of a kingdom of justice, peace

and an end to poverty.

Afraid, alone, in pain Be the answer to Loko’s prayer this Christian

Aid Week. This Christian Aid Week, you can help

transform the lives of women like Loko.

From 10-16 May, churches the length and

breadth of Britain and Ireland will come

together to pray, campaign and raise money

to improve the lives of people like Loko.

Every year, 100,000 volunteers demonstrate God’s love for the poor

by taking part in house-to-house collections for Christian Aid.

This fantastic witness is a chance to take the mission of the church

into your community.

Loko’s choice in life is simple: ‘If I can’t collect

firewood, my children will die.’

Four times a week, in a remote corner of Ethiopia, Loko makes a

back-breaking eight-hour trip to gather wood. It’s a task she dreads,

but she steels herself to do it because if she doesn’t her children will

starve.

She prays to God as she walks. ‘I ask him to change my life and lead

us out of this,’ she says.

Just £5 could give Loko a loan to start her

own business buying and selling tea and

coffee, freeing her from her desperate task

and allowing her to spend more time caring

for her family.

UK registered charity no. 1105851 Company no. 5171525 Scot charity no.

SC039150 NI charity no. XR94639 Company no. NI059154 ROI charity no.

CHY 6998 Company no. 426928 . The Christian Aid name and logo are

trademarks of Christian Aid. Christian Aid is a key member of ACT

Alliance. © Christian Aid November 2014 15-J3099. Photo: Christian

Aid/Andrew Testa/Panos

Our final meeting of the season will be at 7.30 pm on Monday May 18th at the home of Muriel Strachan in Portinscale. The title is "A day in the life of a school" and she assures me it will give an entertaining picture of what goes on, on a typical day.

She will be our guest for the supper which always rounds off our last evening and for which small contributions from members will be gratefully welcomed! As always, transport will be arranged for those who need it and will be finalised on May 17th.

We have had another very good season with excellent speakers covering a great variety of topics, and good numbers to hear them. After May 18th I'll immediately be starting to find speakers for our next season which begins in September.

I'm always grateful for suggestions, preferably with a name, address and telephone number on a piece of paper. Volunteers with a subject brewing in their heads, that they'd be willing to share with our group, would be particularly welcome! Joan Boothroyd (75142)

Monday Night Ladies Group

Churches Together in Keswick Website

www.ctik.org.uk

Circuit Website www.kcmethodists.org.uk

There is a section for each of the churches, including

Keswick. Do log on and see for yourself

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Want to be part of something big like the sponsored walk above?

They are walking across Morecambe Bay. You can do the same while raising vital funds for Action for Children, the Methodist Children’s Charity. Your opportunity comes on

Saturday 22 August starting from Arnside at 10am.

If you want to join me then please let me have your details and a £10.00 registration fee (Under 18’s free) and I will get you some sponsor forms. We will arrange transport nearer the time. Places are always oversubscribed so early registration is advised. You will get wet even on the sunniest days as there is a river to cross.

My contact details are telephone 017687 75818 or email revhasson@aol.com. Please come and keep me company.

David Hasson

Sponsored walk in aid

of Action for Children

Can you tell us something about your early life? I was born in Bristol in 1942. My father was killed in a plane crash while serving with the RAF in 1945. My mother remarried and my stepfather was a publican. So I grew up in a pub – unusual for a Methodist in those days.

How and when did you come to faith? My best friend at Junior School invited me to go to his Sunday School at the Methodist Church. I enjoyed it and later started going to church services with him. When I was older I used to leave the evening church service during the last hymn and run home so that I could be serving behind the bar when the pub opened at 7 o’clock. My faith developed and by the age of 18 I was starting training as a local preacher.

What was your first job? After university and teacher training Joyce and I went to Zambia, so my first job was teaching Physics in a boys’ secondary school about a hundred miles from the nearest proper town. I loved it. Joyce also taught Maths at the school.

When we returned from Zambia I taught for 26 years in a comprehensive school in Lewisham, South London, where I was Head of Science and Deputy Head.

Tell us something about your family

Joyce and I met in the Methodist Society at London University and we were still students when we got married.

Voices

from the

Congregation

Roy Ellis

Our daughter Julie (who was born in Zambia) works as a Church and Outreach Worker and is married to Andrew, a Methodist Minister in Gloucester.

Our son Marc is married to Emma and they have two children, Amy (4) and Ben (2). They live in Horsham in West Sussex. They also have a house in Keswick next door to us. Ben was born here on the same day as Prince George two years ago! Marc and Emma had a Thanksgiving Service for Amy and Ben at our church in 2013. When did you first become involved with the Methodist Church at Southey Street? We first came on holiday to Keswick in 1976 and came every year after that. When Joyce became a Minister in 1986 we bought a holiday home in Brandlehow Crescent and started coming to Southey Street when we were on holiday. We came to live in Keswick when Joyce retired in 2005. Do you have any particular likes or dislikes? I like chocolate! What do you do in your spare time? I love walking the fells. I have climbed all the Wainwrights twice and hope to complete my third round before I reach the age of 75. I am also a Lake District National Park Volunteer and lead guided walks for them. Do you have a favourite hymn? ‘Brother, Sister, let me serve you’ because it seems to sum up the way that we, as Christians, should treat each other. What are your hopes for the future? I would love to see a more equal sharing of the world’s resources.

The next church outing will be on Tuesday 19th May when we will visit Haig Pit at Whitehaven. Haig Pit was the last deep coal mine to close in West Cumbria in 1986. It went to a depth of 1200 feet and 5 miles out under the sea. At its peak it employed over 1800 men.

In 1993 it was bought for £1 by a group of volunteers and, following a grant of £2.3 million in 2013, it is now a museum and award winning visitor attraction. It has great views over the Solway Coast and Irish Sea.

The new museum within the old Powerhouse looks at the coal mining history of West Cumbria showing what life was like both underground and over-ground. The Cumberland coalfields were the most dangerous in the land with the distance out under the sea and the poor ventilation contributing to massive loss of life in the area

We will leave our church at 10.00am and drive to Whitehaven. One of the ex-miners will guide us round then we will have lunch at the café in the visitor centre before returning home. The museum experience is £5.00 per adult or £4.50 for concessions. Roy Ellis

Church Outing to Haig Pit

At the AGM it became clear that a number of members don’t know what to do when they notice defects or problems with our property.

For some time there has been a property book available in the Grisedale Room (behind the coffee station) for people to note down problems with the premises and we are going to put another one in the rear hall for our community groups to use. It is situated to the right of the accessible toilet door.

In my role as Property Steward I see the way we look after our property as a sign of our stewardship with the resources God has given us. When we have outside users on our premises, the standard reflects something of our care for them. This is one of the reasons behind our desire to redevelop and have better quality facilities.

In the meantime we need to do our best to keep our premises in good repair and functional while recognising that it would be silly to spend vast amounts of money given the imminent redevelopment. All church members have a role in this by informing us of any property matters which need attention.

My contact details are telephone 017687 75818 or email revhasson@aol.com David Hasson

Midweek ‘drop in’

Jubi-latte!

Thursdays

10.15am – 11.30am

We meet on a Sunday evening at 7pm at 38 Briar Rigg. We

usually start with one of the group playing a favourite piece of

music and another bringing a prayer. We close our evening with

tea, coffee and informal chat. New members are always welcome

– why not give us a try and come along?

Our programme for the next 3 months is:

3rd May How my Faith has Shaped my Life Moses John

17th May Convention Camping Anne and David Hasson

7th June London MAYC Weekends Sheila Files

21st June A Musical Evening Helen North

5th July Housegroup Communion

19th July Summer BBQ

If you would like a lift please see Roy or Joyce Ellis (73340)

Tues May 19th

Church Outing to Haig Pit

Wed June 17th 7.30 pm

Circuit Meeting at Lorton Street, Cockermouth

Sat June 20th 10am -12noon

Coffee Morning in aid of The Dayspring Trust

Wed June 24th

Garden visit to Helen & Richard’s in Thornthwaite

SUNDAY EVENING HOUSEGROUP

Dates for your Diary

Dates for your Diary

The DaySpring Trust is a small Christian Charity set up by Moses John and his wife Kim (registered charity number: 1129247). The name of the charity was inspired by Luke 1:78, “…the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to

give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death…” The primary aim of the charity is to raise funds for the work of Sinai Ministries in South India, a charity which we believe helps to bring the DaySpring (or sunrise) to the lives of people living in the darkness of poverty.

Sinai Ministries was established by Moses father, Pastor John, over 30 years ago when he brought 3 orphaned boys home to live with him and his family. Over the years a large orphanage home was established alongside three evangelical churches and a primary school offering a free English education to 150 of the poorest children in small rural villages and hamlets surrounding the town.

Due to changes in the law concerning charitable care for children in South India, there have been changes very recently to the orphanage’s role. We now provide healthcare, education and support for the children while they live in their own family homes and attend their own schools.

These changes have left the charity’s building free to be used for another purpose; a tailoring school for the use of poor women and widows. After attending the tailoring school for one year, women who could not otherwise care for their families, are awarded a certificate in tailoring which will allow them to find work in one of the surrounding shops and factories.

The DaySpring Trust is committed to fundraising for and standing alongside Pastor John in this work for his community and out of every penny raised, 100% is transferred directly to the Sinai Ministry bank account so that this precious work will continue to touch those who need it most. We hope you can support the Coffee Morning on Saturday 20

th June to raise vital funds

for this charity. Moses John

The DaySpring

Trust

Revelation of

Divine Love

Meditations based on the writings of Julian of Norwich

The day will consist of 3 guided sessions of awareness exercises and meditation, with periods of free time for

relaxation and quiet. We close with an informal Eucharist. The cost of the day will be £3. Please bring your own lunch; coffee and tea will be provided. If you would like to join us or would like more information please contact Rev Joyce Ellis (73340)

A Quiet Day At Bassenthwaite Methodist Church

Wednesday 17th June 2015, 10am - 4pm

led by Rev Joyce Ellis

Mission Communities

The latest information about Mission Communities is the

God for All

initiative which sums up what we are about.

The steering group want everyone in Cumbria, residents and visitors, to have the opportunity to discover more of God and God’s purpose for their lives.

They will encourage churches to be vibrant and loving communities, working together, serving and worshipping God, and making God known.

Leaflets explaining God for All will soon be available for circulation to congregations and for discussion.

Sue

Research says that in England over the last 20 years 38% of believing men left the church. That means, believing men deciding they don’t want to go to church anymore! According to these statistics, in 30 years’ time there could potentially be zero men left in church communities in the UK.

Now we don’t want a church dominated by men or male characteristics nor do we want to make church a ‘men’s club’; we just want a place where men can be inspired, challenged and encounter a real relationship with God. We believe it’s important to get together in a relaxed manner and encourage one another in growing into vibrant and Christ-centered Christians through studying the bible and sharing life together.

We gather every Thursday evening at 7:30pm at The Birches, Crosthwaite Road. About once a month we also plan ‘social’ gatherings where we can enjoy our surroundings, some good food and invite other Christian and non-Christian friends to join us. Feel free to speak to Moses (72379) for more

information. Moses John

Demonstrating the Christian values of compassion, love & hope

Supporting our Community since July 2009

The North Lakes Foodbank has been helping people in crisis across Allerdale and Copeland since 2009. We collect food from a wide variety of places; churches, supermarkets, businesses, schools, and many individuals, all of whom are very generous in their support for the Foodbank. We feed almost 6000 people a year across our area who, for many reasons, are in immediate financial crisis and cannot afford to buy food. Our last year (March 2014 – March 2015) totalled 51.4 tonnes of food. Churches and other organisations in Keswick totalled 2.9 tonnes – a terrific total!

Client stories:

Keswick Lions donated a food hamper at Christmas. The

Health Centre helped to identify a family in need, who then

received the hamper on Christmas Eve!

A young man with a family had lost his job due to the tourist

season ending. He had applied for benefits but it was going

to take several weeks for his money to be paid, and he had

no money in the meantime. He had been unable to save any

money whilst working as he was on a very low wage

A self-employed man had not had any work for a number of

weeks due to poor weather. He knew that when the weather

improved, so would his business, but in the meantime he had

run out of money.

A working single mum had been off work due to illness. Her

sickness benefit was not enough to cover living costs for

herself and her four children

Many thanks for your continuing help in donating food each

week. It really is appreciated. Roy

Rotas for May & June

Preacher Steward Welcome May 3 Rushton (S) Jane Helen, Richard May 10 Edwards (Jazz) Roy ALL May 17 Moses (CA) Sheila Margaret, Joyce E May 24 R. Ellis Anne Joyce G, Alison May 31 Westley Richard Catherine, Michael

June 7 t.b.a. Brian Joan, Kate June 14 “ Roy Margaret, Kath June 21 “ Jane John, Mary June 28 “ Anne Helen, Richard

Tea/Coffee Traidcraft Counting May 3 Hilda, Hilary --- Ted, Sheila May 10 ---- --- Christine, Alison May 17 Maureen, Helen Kate Roy, Margaret May 24 John, Mary --- Dave, Harry May 31 Peter, Margaret Joan R Christine, Sheila

June 7 Helen D, Maureen --- Roy, Alison June 14 Alan, Kath Kate Joyce E, Margaret June 21 Hilda, Hilary --- Ted, Harry June 28 Peter, Margaret Joyce E Dave, Sheila

Flower Rota for May & June May 3 Margaret & Peter June 7 Joyce Gray May 10 Jazz Service June 14 Harry Reynolds May 17 Ian Boyd June 21 Joyce Ellis May 24 Dylis Kennedy June 28 Hilary Baslington May 31 Joan Rutherford

Editor: Rev Joyce Ellis 017687 73340 joyce.ellis@zen.co.uk

The deadline for the next newsletter, which will be for July & August, is Sunday 14

th June.

Services for May and June

May 3 10.45am Rev Keith Rushton Holy Communion

May 10 9.30am Rev Sue Edwards JAZZ Service 6.00pm Rev Sue Edwards Reflective Service

May 17 10.45am Moses John Christian Aid

May 24 10.45am Roy Ellis Pentecost

May 31 10.45am Janice Westley Trinity

June 7 10.45am to be announced Holy Communion

June 14 10.45am “ 6.00pm “ Reflective Service

June 21 10.45am “

June 28 10.45am “

Minister: Rev Sue Edwards 01900 823273 susan_edwards@hotmail.com Circuit Church & Family Worker:

Moses John 017687 72379 mosesuk@hotmail.com

Church Website

www.keswickmethodistchurch.org.uk

Have you visited the new church website yet? Lots of information, photos etc Do log on and see for yourself.