To go back to the home page click on this link.
To go back to the BCN Index page please click here.
BUILDING FOR BOWDON : APPEAL LAUNCHED
We have lift-off! Everything went just right for the official launch of the Appeal for the Parish Centre. On the windy but bright and clear weekend of 14 and 15 May the Launch began, with a day of activities, and demonstrations in the marquee erected on the Stamford Cottage site. Being on the site brought home to some people just how bad the current facilities are. Lots of visitors made trips up the tower, where Fred Talbot was waiting to point out the landmarks, and Sally Webster had quite a job judging all the Building for Bowdon posters and hats. The day was rounded off with a wonderful concert in St Mary’s featuring bands, choirs and singers from local schools and our own Church choir. On Sunday the Bishop of Stockport shared in the Dedication Service in the company of our MP, local councillors and a big congregation. Having prayed for God’s blessing on this enterprise it was back to the Stamford Cottage for music, games and a barbecue provided by the 4th Bowdon Scout group. There was a real sense of enthusiasm and excitement. There was perhaps too a feeling for some of relief and thankfulness that we have reached this point, after so much prayer, planning and preparation.
Shortly after the Launch Weekend personal invitations were sent out in the parish and to the many people connected with St Mary’s and St Luke’s living beyond the parish.
If you have received an invitation and haven’t yet responded please do give thought and prayer to how you can be part of this project which will serve the whole community as well as the Church, for many years to come. Please be as generous as you can. It needs quite an effort to reach our target of around £750.000. We have submitted bids to the National Lottery and to other grant-making bodies. If these are successful they will certainly help towards that target, as will the amounts raised from the events planned over the months ahead. Watch out for news of an Auction, a Bridge Drive and more …
If you would like to help and if you have ideas for a fund-raising event please contact me on 928 2468 or the Appeal Secretary, Sue Sinagola, on 928 3082. We welcome ideas but of course we will need to coordinate the events. These events will certainly help, and encourage us as we make progress, but of course there is no substitute for gifts by individuals, and each person will be in a different situation. There are many ways of giving all of which can be increased by gift-aid. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to make a real and lasting contribution to the life of the Church and the Community of Bowdon. Whatever our situation each of has something to give, and I believe it’s worth the pain of making a generous even sacrificial gift now for the gain of seeing a Parish Centre here in the heart of Bowdon, truly a building for Bowdon.
“The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you should give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9: 6 – 8
[If you have not received an invitation and would like one, please contact the Parish Recorder on 928 1472, or collect a pack from the back of Church. All donations are dealt with in confidence.]
Thank you to those who have already responded and to all those who worked hard to make the Launch Weekend such an enjoyable and successful event.
With every blessing
[signature of KH]
ON LINE
Bowdon Parish, St Mary’s and St Luke’s, is about to go on line with its brand new website, full of information and news. We hope to be up and running by 6 June. Check it out from then on bowdon-parish-church.org.uk
VAT’s REALLY GOOD NEWS!
The Church of England has warmly welcomed the announcement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, to extend for a further three years until 2008 the 100 per cent VAT refund for renovation of Listed church buildings. This makes a considerable difference to parishes such as Bowdon with a large and historic building to repair and maintain.
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
At the meeting of parishioners on 13 April, the Wardens elected to serve for the coming year are: Mr Murray Creed, Mrs Evelyn Harwood, MR J A Bonson and Mrs Christine Manning. The elected members of the Parochial Church Council are:
Mr D Bolton, Mr G V R Bolton, Mrs H Bonson, Mrs C Carrington, Mrs P Cloney, Mrs B Collins, Mr M Elder, Dr J Gardner, Mrs A Hine, Mrs E Jenner, Mrs C McMurray, Mrs P Mosedale, Mrs M Nork, Mrs J Oughton, Prof K Perera, Mrs A Poole, Dr S Rimmer, Mr I Scott-Dunn, Mrs S Sinagola, Mrs R Stageman, Mr J Stewart.
The Year Ahead
Please pray for the Wardens and PCC members in the year ahead. The meeting was an opportunity to thank God for all the work which goes on in so many different ways and by so many different people. It was also the time to ask God’s blessing on the year ahead. With Planning Permission granted and the Appeal officially launched, we turn our energies to fund-raising. At the same time we do not want to lose sight of our work in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in this community, though the Parish Centre will form an important part of that in many ways.
I AM SO THANKFUL …
§ For my teenage daughter who is complaining about doing dishes, because it means she is at home, and not on the streets.
§ For the taxes I pay, because it means I am employed.
§ For the mess to clean after a party, because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
§ For the supermarket run, because it means I can buy food.
§ For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.
§ For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that overflow, because it means I have a home.
§ For all the complaining I hear about the Government, because it means we have freedom of speech.
§ For my heating bill, because it means I am warm
§ For the lady behind me in church who sings off-key, because it means I can hear
§ For the pile of laundry and ironing I’ve got, because it means I have clothes to wear
§ For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard.
WHO CARES?
Who cares for our six million carers?
There are no fewer than six million people in the UK voluntarily looking after loved ones? A recent survey found that 77 per cent of adults questioned would prefer to be looked after at home by a relative or friend, rather than in a nursing home or hospital, so with an ageing population the number of carers is likely to continue to grow.
Carers’ Week this year runs from 13-19 June. This annual event raises awareness of issues affecting carers, who often face health and financial problems as a result of looking after someone else. Many carers don’t recognise themselves as such and are not aware of the support available to them.
To give carers a break and highlight the support that they can get, thousands of events have been organised up and down the country. Two popular actresses, Pam Ferris and Miriam Margolyes are backing the Week by speaking out about their own experience of looking after loved ones.
“Having looked after my mother, I know how challenging yet fulfilling being a carer can be,” says Pam Ferris, who starred in the film ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’. “Caring can be horribly isolating at times but my most precious memories of my mother come from the intimacy we achieved through the caring process.”
Miriam Margolyes became a carer when her mother was chronically ill. She says: “I have been through the experience of caring for a sick and paralysed parent, so Carers’ Week is a cause close to my heart. It gives us all a chance to pause for thought for the wonderful people who step into the breach and look after a loved one, sometimes for a month, sometimes for a lifetime.”
The Week is a joint activity by Carers UK, Help the Aged, Crossroads, Macmillan Cancer Relief, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Princess Royal Trust and Rethink, the charity concerned with severe mental illness. Spokesman Paul Matz says: “People with caring responsibilities make an enormous contribution to society but often, sadly, don’t get the help and support they need to lead fulfilling lives of their own.”
In the autumn we shall be starting a series of sessions to help those who wish to be confirmed. Confirmation is the opportunity for an individual to make a commitment of faith; to ‘own’ for him or herself the faith in which they have grown up or the faith to which they have been drawn at a later point in life. For young people, it can be from secondary school age. For adults it can be at any age from 19 to 99. It is always a special moment, bringing a sense of belonging and knowing where one stands. It brings too that special privilege of sharing in Holy Communion.
The sessions for young people will be held late afternoons, in September, and for adults at 8 pm, again starting in September.
The content of the sessions will be flexible enough for anyone who wants to know more about the Christian faith but who is unsure whether Confirmation is right or not for them at this stage. The sessions will provide a forum for exploring issues of faith and belief. There is never time in a Church service to explore a lot of the questions people ask about the Christian faith. Being told which book to go away and read about it is not the best answer: I believe what people find most helpful is to meet and share questions and discoveries with others. So often I find that a group of people enquiring about the Christian faith can be a really positive experience.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON CONFIRMATION
What if I’m not christened? It’s not an obstacle to being confirmed. A christening or baptism can be arranged to suit the individual (with family and friends) a little while before the Confirmation itself
Who else will be there?
We don’t know exactly till we begin, but past experience shows it’s a range of people who all feel the same – a little apprehensive, just like you, probably.
What will I be expected to do?
Nothing – no more than you want to do or say or contribute.
I have a busy life, what if I miss some of the sessions?
We can find ways to deal with that, but it is worth trying to make it a priority.
What do I do if I’m interested?
Just contact Keith Hine (928 2468, or in person) at any time and he’ll be able to tell you all you need to know.
ALTRINCHAM CHURHCES TOGETHER FLOWER FESTIVAL: This year the Festival is to be held at the St George’s Altrincham, on the theme of Community Life
£ Friday 1 July Viewing from 12 – 6
Service of Dedication at 8 pm.
£ Saturday 5 July Viewing from 10 – 6
£ Sunday 6 July Viewing from 12 – 6
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR …
Our thoughts at this time of year are with young people. Many of them will be taking exams, and on the results of these depend continuing education and careers. In a community like Bowdon, there is a lot pressure on young people and children to achieve and succeed. Parents need to find the balance between encouraging their children to do well and yet to give them a sense of being loved in spite of success or failure, not because of it. Education is not simply about passing exams but about helping each young person to realise his or her potential and to grow as a whole person. This time of year isn’t easy for parents or young people, or for teachers, with that pressure in the background. It’s a time for patience and love, and for prayer.
We pray, heavenly Father, for young people. Help us who are older to remember the adventure and the joy of those years, as well as the difficulties and confusions, and enable us to help them through our prayers, our example and our friendship. Help them to know your love for each one of them and their unique value to you.
But I can’t help thinking too of the little girl who, having talked with her friends after her geography exam, offered up the following: “Please God make Copenhagen the capital of Japan - at least for this month.”
Bulletin Board: The Sixty Club A. G. M. Monday June 6th at 8 pm in the Dunham Room of the Jubilee Centre.
Garden Party at the Vicarage
Saturday 9th July - 2.30pm - 4.30pm
Goodies & Games down Petticoat Lane
£1.50 inc cream tea
All are welcome to come and support our fundraising for Melanesian Brothers Jonathan and Leonard at Chester College
REGISTERS
Baptism We welcome into God’s Church family
Ella Roy Richard Cheetham Benjamin Conaghan Sienna Oliver
Weddings We congratulate
Daniel McNab and Tina France
Gavin Hamilton and Emma Buckley
Marcus Naylor and Victoria Rumblelow
Funerals We commend to God
Alison Lumsden Arthur Whalley Volmer Thorgaard
Calendar for June
Morning Prayer is said in St. Mary’s at 8.45am
Monday to Friday. Entry through the vestry door.
1 (Wed) 11.30 am Holy Communion.
2 (Thu) 10 am St. Luke’s, Holy Communion, with Mothers’ Union.
10.30 Coffee drop-in at St. Luke’s.
5 Second Sunday after Trinity
(First Sunday in June)
8 am Holy Communion.
9.30 am St. Luke’s Holy Communion.
10.35 am Trekkers.
10.45 am Holy Communion, (Order One).
Oblations: St. Mary’s Guild.
followed by coffee at the back of the church.
6.30 pm Evening Prayer. (BCP).
8 (Wed) 11.30 am Holy Communion.
8 pm A Service of Healing.
12 Third Sunday after Trinity
(Second Sunday in June)
8 am Holy Communion.
9.30 am St. Luke’s Holy Communion.
10.45 am Family Service.
followed by coffee at the back of the church.
6.30 pm Choral Evensong.
13 (Mon) 2.30 pm Bible Reading Fellowship meeting at 34 Bow Green Road.
15 (Wed) 11.30 am Holy Communion.
16 (Thu) 2 pm First Steps. Talking and Listening to God.
19 Fourth Sunday after Trinity
(Third Sunday in June)
8 am Holy Communion.
9.30 am Said Matins.
9.30 am St. Luke’s Holy Communion.
10.35 am Trekkers.
10.45 am Holy Communion, (Order One).
followed by coffee at the back of the church.
6.30 pm Evening Prayer (BCP).
22 (Wed) 11.30 am Holy Communion.
2.15 pm St. Mary’s Mothers’ Union. Methodist Speaker and Tea at the Methodist Hall.
26 Fifth Sunday after Trinity
(Fourth Sunday in June)
8 am Holy Communion.
9.30 am St. Luke’s Morning Worship.
10.35 am Trekkers.
10.45 am Holy Communion, (BCP).
followed by coffee at the back of the church.
6.30 pm Evening Praise.
29 (Wed) 11.30 am Holy Communion.
7.30 pm PCC Meeting in the Johnson Hall
July
3 Sixth Sunday after Trinity
(First Sunday in July)
8 am Holy Communion.
9.30 am St. Luke’s Holy Communion.
10.35 am Trekkers.
10.45 am Holy Communion, (Order One).
Oblations: The Choir.
followed by coffee at the back of the church.
6.30 pm Evening Prayer. (BCP).
6 (Wed) 11.30 am Holy Communion.
7 (Thu) 10 am St. Luke’s, Holy Communion (BCP), with Mothers’ Union.
10.30 Coffee drop-in at St. Luke’s.
9 (Sat) 2.30 pm Garden Party at the Vicarage in aid of the Parish Project for the Melanesian Brothers.
10 Seventh Sunday after Trinity
(Second Sunday in July)
8 am Holy Communion.
9.30 am St. Luke’s Holy Communion.
10.45 am Family Service.
followed by coffee at the back of the church.
6.30 pm Choral Evensong.
Each week we pray for people living in the Parish.
|
Wk/begin |
We pray for those living in |
|
5 June |
Langham Road and Holly Grange. |
|
12 June |
Minster Drive, Abbey Close and Friars Close. |
|
19 June |
Dean Drive, Bishops Close, Canon Drive and Deacon Close. |
|
26 June |
Priory Road, Bow Lane and The Gorse. |
|
3 July |
Priory Street. |
|
10 July |
Bollin Avenue, Bollin Square and Bollin Court. |
To go back to the BCN Index page please click here.
To go back to the home page click on this link.