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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
PREACHERS
To Note: On Sunday 18th July when there is no evening services in Leeds West, there will be a service at 6.30 pm at Meanwood Methodist Church which will be part of our new circuit in September. (A chance to get to know folk!) On 5th September, the Circuit Superintendent of the new combined Headingley and Leeds West Circuit the Revd Darren Garfield will be taking our morning service at Wesley Road
MEDITATION AND LUNCH Wednesday, 14th July at 12 noon at St Bartholomew’s Church
REGULAR EVENTS
ROTAS
ENCOURAGE EACH OTHERWe ask you to remember the following birthdays especially by praying for them and their families on their birthday:
COFFEE DAY Irene and David Cornish are holding a Coffee Day at 44 Layton Lane, Rawdon on Friday, 30th July from 10 am to 3 pm. Bacon sandwiches, soup, toasted teacakes etc. will be served throughout the day.
All proceeds will be for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. We do hope you will be able to join us. If lifts are wanted please have a word with David or Irene on 0113 2503330.
THE BIBLE IN CHINA
Since the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, when the bible was banned, confiscated and burned, it has become China’s bestseller. The breath of God is fanning flames in Chinese hearts. Fifty million Bibles later, they’re on fire with his word.
Scripture put a smile on her face. In fact, 70 year old Jin couldn’t stop smiling. She’d walked for three hours in sub-zero temperatures to get to church – because free Bibles were being given out. And thankfully, she got one.
This is Yiyang, China’s rural heartland. Despite the astonishing rise of cities like Beijing and Nanjing, 70 percent of China’s 1.3 billion population live in the countryside. Fifty percent live on little more than £1 per day. In this context, buying your own copy of God’s Word can be a virtual impossibility. Bible Society is helping to subsidise the Scriptures, which can cost under £2. But in the countryside, some are distributed for free.
About four million bibles were printed in China last year alone. To date the figure tops 70 million – 50 million of which have been for China’s churches, the rest exported around the world. Yet, as thousands of people are thought to be coming to faith each day, millions more are still needed.
FACT People – Officially there are 28.6 million Christians in China. Unofficial figures take that up to 90 million.
Print – Around 55,000 churches and meeting points distribute the bibles printed by Amity Press in Nanjing.
Piety – In 2009 four million Bibles were printed and distributed in China. Local experts believe thousands of people are becoming Christians each day – possible as many as 500,000 a year.
PRAYER DIARY
Week commencing 27th June Revd Stan Woods taking our morning service. Birthday: Peter Cordwell (Thursday) Big six-0! The Methodist Conference being held in Portsmouth (26th to 30th June). Ordination of our circuit minister, Revd Rupert Weekes Local Preachers and Worship Leaders Away Day at Knaresborough on Saturday 3rd
Week commencing Sunday 4th July Revd Paul Allen preaching at Wesley Road New President of the Methodist Conference, Revd Alison Tomlin and Vice President Deacon Eunice Attwood as they begin their year of office. Irene Siddle’s birthday on Tuesday Revd Rupert Weekes sharing his story with us at our Guild on Wednesday. Church weekend at Scarborough, Friday to Sunday. Edith Turner’s birthday on Saturday
Week commencing Sunday 11th July Revd Marjorie Ayton and helpers taking morning service. Joyce Harding’s birthday (Thursday) Martin House and all organisations caring for children and young people.
Week commencing Sunday 18th July Revd Sue Smith taking our morning service with Holy Communion - her last service at Wesley Road. Ellen Dunn’s birth on Sunday Prisoners and staff of HM Prison, Leeds
Week commencing Sunday 25th July Revd Paul Allen at Wesley Road 6 pm Service at Highfield – Sue’s farewell service in Leeds West. Coffee Day at David & Irene’s on Friday and the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Birthdays: Alice Blackburn (28th) and Doreen Brown (31st) Week commencing Sunday 1st August Revd Paul Allen at Wesley Road Revd Graham Kidman and Jill beginning their well earned retirement in Haxby near York. Friends and family taking their summer holidays this month. Matthew Allen’s birthday (3rd) and Audrey Tandy & Jean Lee (6th)
Week commencing Sunday 8th August Our preacher Mrs Kirsty Butler from St Mark’s Swinnow Baptist churches in Yorkshire and the work of the YBA Men and women of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan
Week commencing Sunday 15th August Revd Paul Allen taking our service Faramarz and Sue Smith’s birthdays (16th) URC Churches in the Yorkshire Province Our Prime Minister and Government Members HM Queen Elizabeth and the royal Family
Week commencing Sunday 22nd August Susan Cordwell at 10.45 am and Paul Allen at 6.00 pm John Williamson’s birthday (today) Our circuit local preachers and worship leaders. Wesley Road members in residential homes or unable to attend services
Week commencing Sunday 29th August Revd Paul Allen preaching Inauguration of the new Headingley and West circuit at Lower Wortley on Wednesday at 7.30 pm and the welcome for our new Circuit minister, Charity Hamilton Church BBQ at Patricia and Brian’s (Saturday) Sue and David beginning their ministry in Warrington and Manchester
A prayer list similar to this is published each month. Please use it along with your usual prayers each day as we cover our spiritual life with God’s presence in all we do. Any prayer requests for particular days that you would like included for April, are to be passed to the editors by 22nd August.
NEWS FROM THE ARMLEY FORUM At the latest meeting of the forum, the Police were disappointed to have to report that there had been an increase in burglaries. However, these incidents could not be classed as “break-ins” because in a number of cases the burglars had simply walked into the house. During the recent hot weather I’m sure that many of us have left the door open while we ate a meal, watched the football or tennis on TV or pottered about in the garden. An experienced “sneak thief” can be in and out of the house in a very short space of time. It is important too not to leave ground floor windows open for any length of time.
On a happier note, there is to be an Urban Picnic in the Park, from 1 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, 11th July in Charlie Cake Park. The idea is that you take your own sandwiches – hot and cold drinks will be on sale. Why not visit this small, attractive park which is maintained by the Armley common Right trust and a number of helpers.
Look out too for further details of Armley Fund Day on Wednesday, 28th July 2010. This is usually a happy occasion when people of all ages can mingle in a relaxed atmosphere.
ST. SWITHIN’S DAY St. Swithin’s Day is on the 15th July, a day on which people watch the weather for tradition says that whatever the weather is like on St. Swithin’s Day, it will continue so for the next forty days.
There is a weather-rhyme which is well known throughout the British Isles since Elizabethan times; “St. Swithin’s Day, if it does rain Full forty days, it will remain St. Swithin’s Day, if it be fair For forty days, t’will rain no more.”
St. Swithin (or more properly, Swithun) was a Saxon Bishop of Winchester. He was born in the kingdom of Wessex and educated in its capital, Winchester. He was famous for charitable gifts and building churches.
A legend says that as the Bishop lay on his deathbed, he asked to be buried out of doors, where he would be trodden on and rained on. For nine years, his wishes were followed, but then, the monks of Winchester attempted to remove his remains to a splendid shrine inside the cathedral on 15th July 971. According to legend there was a heavy rain storm either during the ceremony or on the anniversary.
This led to the old wives’ tale (folklore) that if it rains on St Swithin’s Day it will rain for the next 40 days in succession, and a fine 15th July will be followed by 40 days of fine weather.
TO MAKE YOU SMILE (and think) Finding one of her children making faces at the others on the playground, Miss Smith stopped to gently reprove the child. Smiling sweetly, the teacher said, “Bobby, when I was a child, I was told that if I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that.” Bobby looked up and replied, “Well, Miss Smith, you can’t say you weren’t warned.”
Nine year old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. “Well, Mum, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge, and all the people walked across safely. He used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.” “Now Joey, is that REALLY what your teacher taught you?” his mother asked. “Well, no Mum, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe it!”
An old man is reading a newspaper article about a scientific study into how much men and women speak during the day. “Look at this!” says the old man triumphantly to his wife. “Apparently the average woman says 30,000 words a day while the average man says about 15,000.” “Well you know why that is, don’t you?” says his wife. “That’s because the average woman has to repeat everything she says to the average man”. The old man carries on reading, but after a moment looks up and says, “Sorry. What’s that you said?!” A gossip talks about others, a bore talks about himself, and a brilliant conversationalist talks about you.
Newspaper extracts – supposedly true! Get 50% off or half price, whichever is less!
An Australian Army vehicle worth $74,000 has gone missing after being painted with camouflage.
County to pay $250,000 to advertise lack of funds.
Caskets found as workers demolish mausoleum.
Utah Poison Control Centre reminds everyone not to take poison”.
Federal Agents raid gun shop, and find weapons.
The Learning Centre on Hanson Street reports a man across the way stands at his window for hours watching the centre, making parents nervous. Police ID the subject as a cardboard cut out of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
GOODBYE TO SUE How quickly time passes by! It does not seem five years since Sue arrived as our probationer minister. In that time she has achieved a lot and has helped the fellowship at Wesley Road to grow and develop. We have greatly appreciated her caring, her teaching and her preaching. These are the bread and butter of day to day ministry, but in addition, Sue has brought new ideas, fresh initiatives and enthusiasm in her first period as a circuit minister, such as Songs of Fellowship, prayer tables, the Indian orphanage initiative following the tsunami.
Sue arrived as Sue Clark and leaves us as Sue Smith. We shall never forget the amazing day of her marriage to David which drew over 280 people into our small building and probably infringed every health and safety regulation in the book. Then there was Sue’s ordination in Southport when quite a few of us were able to attend that joyous, exciting ceremony.
We will all have our own personal reasons for being grateful to God for Sue’s time with us, but collectively as the fellowship of Wesley Road Chapel we commend Sue and David to God as, in September, they take up new ministries, Sue in Warrington and David at Manchester Central Hall. Thank you Sue. Our prayer for both of you is:
“The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
FAREWELL LETTER
Dear Friends, Philippians 1:3-6, 9-11 “I thank my God every-time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.”
This is, as you can imagine, a difficult letter for me to write. Our lives have been entwined with ‘cords’ of love for the last 5 years. I move on to a new appointment in Penketh, Warrington with mixed feelings. Aware that God is continuing to call me to a ministry that is itinerant, but wanting to stay put in a place that I have grown to love. I have found my time, such as it has been, spent at Wesley Road, rewarding and fulfilling.
It has been a privilege to work with eager stewards and with many, who through their commitment, keep this church a visible sign of Christ in your community. We all have our differences, our strengths and weaknesses, we cannot do it without each other and especially not without God.
You have been supportive and have loved me and David, as we will never forget our very special wedding day with you, the food (in great quantities), our friends and family all together (far too many!), the new banner made for that day and many, many more memories that we cherish. I thank-you for your graciousness each time I struggled to understand just what an LEP actually was! I am so pleased that the extension is finished, (sharing agreement, nearly done!), and I look forward to hearing all that you will do with your new building and your venture into the world of technology and ‘Easy Worship’.
I will miss you and extend a warm invitation to any of you who dare to travel outside Yorkshire and across the Pennines, there will always be a cup of tea for you! “Finally, brothers (and sisters!), good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11
Our new address will be: 36 Bank Gardens, Penketh, Warrington. WA5 2RU. Tel: 01925 722191 With much love in Christ, Sue. X
Lord, my life is a tapestry, a pattern designed by you. To be sewn by me. I look at the tapestry of my life held in the frame of your love. I see the flaws, the uneven work, unravelled edges, unfinished stitching bleeding my spirit away. Forgive me, Lord, help me to unpick the faulty stitch, strengthen the weakened thread and bind the unravelled edge.
I see the gifts, the talents that you placed in the pattern of me, rich and glowing colours in my life. Thank you, Lord, help me to use each gift as you ordained, to place each stitch according to your pattern, to be the picture that you meant me to be.
I see friends and family, golden threads, supporting and highlighting the whole. Thank you, Lord, bless them as they are all part of your design. And, Lord, when the last stitch is set, grant that the completed work will be as you conceived it. A perfect tapestry of colour, word and deed, to reflect and praise your glory for ever. Anne Doyle
HELPFUL BIBLE VERSES When you are lonely – Psalm 27: Hebrews 13:5
When people seem unkind – Ephesians 4:32
When you worry – Matthew 6:19, 25-34
When you are discouraged – Isaiah 40: Psalm 126
When God seems far away – Psalm 139
For those who are bereaved – Psalm 23: John 11:25
When you want rest and peace – Matthew 11: 28-30
When you grow bitter or critical – 1 Corinthians 13
CHURCH FAMILY NEWS Thanks: a) To all who supported the Wesley Singers and YE Post Brass Ensemble at Pudsey St. Andrews. A cheque for £2000 has been handed to Martin house Hospice and a further £250 will be passed on to them shortly. b) To all who helped at Pudsey House. The net amount raised was almost £260. c) To everyone who helped to make our annual Gift Day so successful. Gifts amounted to £2266.88, and we all enjoyed the excellent meal provided. Swimming – several members have expressed interest in going swimming at the new Sports and Leisure Centre in Armley. If you are interested in joining an informal group from Wesley Road, please contact Beryl Trory so a mutually convenient time can be arranged. (Please let us know if there is some person who needs to be mentioned in this section).
SEPTEMBER MESSENGER Any items or information for the September joint edition should be handed to Patricia by Sunday 22nd August.
PUZZLE ANSWERS Keyword – Across: 1 Comedy, 4 Utmost, 9 Agitate, 10 Piano, 11 There, 12 Yiddish, 13 Substantial, 18 Abscess, 20 Rogue, 22 Turns, 23 Avarice, 24 Clever, 25 Coffee. Down: 1 Chaste, 2 Maize, 3 Drawers, 5 Tepid, 6 Ocarina, 7 Trophy, 8 New Year’s Day, 14 Upsurge, 15 Tornado, 16 Tactic, 17 Recede, 19 Ensure, 21 Grief
Codeword -
THIS MONTH’S PRAYER (make it your own) Loving Lord, sometimes we forget how precious each day of our lives truly is, for each one is a gift from you. Help us to make each day a day when we draw nearer to you, when we walk a little closer in your footsteps and grow progressively into the people you would have us be. May each new morning bring fresh opportunities to bathe in your love, and to reach out to those who need our love the most. Help us never to stop caring, never stop serving and never stop loving throughout our lives, until our journey’s end. Amen. Marilyn Dore, Methodist Prayer Handbook
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