www.scarthomethodists.net Contact us at scarthospirit@hotmail.co.uk

October

2016

Minister

Rev. Susan Chambers Tel: 01472 696113

The Spirit of Scartho

My name is Barbara Tappin and for three years I have been visiting an elderly lady for Friendship at Home. Her name is Marion and we have formed a very happy friendship together. We often make greetings cards or go out for tea and cake at a local cafe. Marion was a hundred years old in January and we took this selfie of the two of us. You’re never too old to do something new! God Bless, Barbara

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Why gardener Alan digs the Real Advent Calendar

Alan Titchmarsh has welcomed the launch of the 2016 Real Advent Calendar, describ-

ing it as 'a great idea'. Each Real Advent Calendar comes with a free 28 page copy of

the Christmas story in the box, 24 Fairtrade chocolates and sales of the calendar sup-port charitable causes.

David Marshall, from The Meaningful Chocolate Company which makes the calendars, said: "Three years ago we saw survey

research which showed that knowledge of the Christmas story was fading. Among 5-7 year olds, 36% didn’t know whose birthday was celebrated at Christmas.

“Among adults, less than 12% knew the full nativity story and 51% said that the birth of Jesus was irrelevant to their Christmas.

As a result of this survey we launched The Real Advent Calendar hoping to help adults and children engage with the Christmas story for the full 24 days of Advent.”

More than half a million Real Advent Calendars have been sold, which means over a million people have read the Real Advent Cal-

endar Christmas story, many for the first time. This year the story is illustrated by award winning artist Alida Massari and includes ac-tivities and challenges.

From the charitable donations, the calendar has helped equip a baby clinic in Kenya and supported charities such as Traidcraft

Exchange and The Children’s Society. Alan Titchmarsh said: "The Real Advent Calendar is a great idea.

Not only does it raise money for good causes and is made from Fairtrade Chocolate but is also tells the Christmas story."

Delivery is free on orders of at least one case of 18 calendars if made by 1st November. Schools receive a 10% discount for each case ordered in October. Free resources for schools and churches

are also available online. Visit www.realadvent.co.uk

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I WISH...

I wish I had a simple faith

Then I could just believe:

And cast aside the woes of man

That make me want to grieve.

I wish I had a simple prayer,

That I’d say in the pew:

No thinking of the words so deep,

Which lack in meaning too.

I wish I had a simple heart,

That could reflect God’s love:

Instead I find it hard to state,

The phrase to him above.

I wish I was a simple soul,

Who could see to the core:

Then I would learn what Jesus taught,

From those who came before.

Tim Mickleburgh

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‘Church for Ragamuffins’ helps those on the fringe

Luke Larner, a long-time biker, and now also a Church Mission

Society pioneer, has found a way to help people on the fringe of society to build bridges to God – and to local churches.

The ‘Church for Ragamuffins’ is a 12-step recovery programme

aimed at bikers who are addicts, the homeless and those living on the margins. As Luke Larner

explains, such people know too well that they are “powerless” over their lives, and “only a

higher power can set them free”. So “I believe that God reaches out to people as they go through the recovery process to bring healing and restoration. We recently

had our first baptism, with more on the way.” Getting such people into church is the biggest challenge, Luke

said. “They have an experience of God, then they turn up at church and get overwhelmed by the language, structure and format of the service. Our members are not used to the long

sermons and word based teaching of many traditional churches. We have had to work out a style that bridges the gap between real

life and church language and culture.” Luke himself is no stranger to life on the margins. "I have had my

own struggles with drugs and alcohol but I also know the power of God to set me free to pursue my call to 'shine light into dark places'."

As well as his work with the ‘Church for Ragamuffins?', Luke is a member of God's Squad Christian Motorcycle Club. He is currently

studying Theology, Mission and Ministry as part of the Church Mission Society’s Pioneer programme. More details on the Ragamuffin Church

at: https://www.eauk.org/church/stories/church-for-ragamuffins-gives-space-t...

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Operation Christmas Child

Shoe Box Appeal

Following a talk at the local wives group

at Scartho by Ellie (from the shoe box

operation at the Ice House) we became

aware that a number of items are requested to help the volun-

teers to fill boxes to go out to children in worse off conditions

ie the refugee camps in other countries.

If you can help in any way please contact Denise Johnson

Tel: 07790609033, or drop it in at the Ice House, Victor Street,

Grimsby.

Items needed:

Old Christmas Cards, Colouring Pads, Paper, pencils,

Video cases (for making pencil cases) CD’s for making dream

catchers, Inner reels of sellotape, decorative paper, xmas paper.

Knitted hand puppets, finger puppets, small knitting needles,

wooden cotton reels, cross stitch material, venetian blind mate-

rial, zips, Velcro, buttons, elastic, cord, ribbon, lace, oddments

of cotton material, sewing items, pins, needles, old ties, glues

sticks, sellotape, stickers, second hand jewellry, small orna-

ments, small toys, cuddlies, Hats, scarves, gloves, mittens, old

towels, tennis balls, picture books, denim jeans, remnant of soft

furnishing, tootbrush, toothpaste, soap flannels, hairbrushes,

combs, hairslides, balls, skipping ropes, dolls, cars, dominoes,

protractors, dice, small toys, travel games, medium size shoe

boxes for volunteers to cover.

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THE WAY I SEE IT - The Statue of Liberty

– offering freedom for 130 years

She towers over New York Bay, arms outstretched in welcome. The Statue of Liberty was erected 130 years ago this month, the

gift of the French people to the people of America, with whom they felt they shared a common commitment to liberty (and equality and fraternity!). I remember about 40 years ago, standing beneath

it eating a monster hot-dog and reading its incredibly moving invi-tation:

‘Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send them, the homeless, tempest tossed, to me. . .’ I felt that I would be proud to belong to a nation that embraced

such a generous vision. ‘Liberty’ is such a glorious idea – to be free, unconfined, not hemmed in by poverty, circumstance or con-vention. America was to be ‘the land of the free’ and that vision is

enshrined in its Constitution – though, as ever, easier said than done.

Liberty, in the deepest sense, is not created by constitutional law. It is a gift of God. “If the Son shall set you free”, said Jesus, you will be free indeed.” This is not freedom to do what we like, but

freedom to be what our Creator intended for us: freedom from self, from greed, from hatred and envy, and freedom to love and be loved. Freedom is generous and open-hearted, not private and

exclusive. I think the Lady of New York Bay would agree with that.

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Letter from St James the Least of All –

On how long a sermon should last The Rectory

St. James the Least of All

My dear Nephew Darren

I am afraid we will never agree about the appropriate

length of sermons. Your 50 minute exposition on the

theology of St. Paul concerning women wearing hats

in church is, I am sure, of real interest to you. But as

your sermon slowly unfolds, I suspect it will prompt

quite a different concern among your congregation.

Have they set the oven timer to come on too early?

Whenever I even hint that a matter of theological

importance may be about to appear in one of my

sermons, an expression of benign incomprehension

comes over my congregation. You know the look –

you see it on golden Labradors whenever they try

and work out what their owners are telling them.

There are certain sure signs that should warn you

when you have preached for long enough. One is

when members of the congregation reach for their

prayer books to try to work for the umpteenth time

how the date for Easter is calculated. The organist

turning on the blower when you say “and finally” is

another.

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Most members of the congregation will count the

number of dead flies on the windowsills during your

sermon. But when you can see members of the

congregation counting the numbers in the congrega-

tion counting the numbers of dead flies, that is abso-

lute proof that it is time to stop.

There has only been one occasion when I preached for

longer than my standard eight minutes. Our former

organist was in the habit of taking his dog for a

walk during the sermon. I knew I had to carry on

preaching until I heard the latch on the vestry door

for the second time. That meant he was back, and

ready to play the last hymn. Unfortunately one

Sunday, his dog ran away.

While he searched for it over every field in the parish,

I spent the intervening two hours reading the greater

part of Leviticus, discussing the food laws set forth

in Deuteronomy, and arguing for a Deutero-Isaiah. I

was headed for the Babylonian exile when we all

heard the vestry door re-open.

After the Service, the congregation left looking as

though they had just been rescued from a major ship-

wreck. And at the next church council meeting, we

unanimously voted to buy our organist a stronger

lead. Your loving uncle, Eustice

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Wear out

Three little boys were bragging about how tough they were. "I'm so tough," said the first boy, "that I can wear out a pair of shoes in a week." "Well," said the second little boy, "I'm so tough,

I can wear out a pair of jeans in a day." "That's nothing," said the third boy. "When my parents take me to see my grandma and grandpa, I can wear them out in just one hour."

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NOTES OF SCARTHO METHODIST CHURCH

GENERAL CHURCH MEETING 26 JUNE 2016

Present: Rev Susan Chambers and 49 Church members. Apologies for Absence: Several were received after the service Rev Susan Chambers welcomed everyone to the Morning Service and explained that we would combine the Morning Service with both Communion and the Church AGM, and all business would take place in the context of worship. It would be based around the question, “What is a Healthy Church?”, and would enable us to explore seven Healthy Church Marks, and how they relate to us as a Church and individuals. She explained that, as we looked at each Healthy Church Mark there would be an opportu-nity to think about our own response / views and to write them down – these will be anonymous, and will then be looked at by Rev Susan and the Leadership Team. This would enable everyone to have a say, and she stressed that everyone should be in-volved, not only Church members, and that everyone’s views were important. If people needed longer to think about their answers, they could complete them at a later date, and pass them to Rev Susan when they were finished. Similarly, anyone not at the meeting was invited to complete the questions and hand them in. Communion would take place at the beginning of the Service, after which the children would leave and would be answering the same questions together, to return later. Minutes of the last meeting on 17 May 2015 were agreed and would be signed by Rev Susan Chambers. There were no matters arising from these Minutes. Written reports from the organisations and the Leadership Team had been circulated prior to the meeting. Healthy Church Mark 1: Energised by faith – rather than just keeping things going to try to survive.

We all joined in Communion, then had time to answer the first questions: Questions (1): What is it that attracts you to this church?

To what extent do you experience God’s love in this place?

Healthy Church Mark 2: Outward- looking focus – with a ‘whole-life’ rather than a ‘church life’ concern.

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Rev Susan talked about the Good Samaritan, and how Church can get in the way of us getting involved with other people. We need to be involved in our commu-nity. God’s love for all needs to be shared. In this context, she talked about the reports received from Finance (about the tithes that we had agreed as a Church earlier in the year – where our money should go), Open House, Wives Group, Coffee Morning, Baptism (all connecting us with the community that we are a

part of). She also mentioned that Leadership Team are looking at how we

can meet the needs of the youth in our area (Richard Melling will be

talking about this next week) and that we have offered the Church to be a

water station for the 10K run taking place on Sunday 31/07/16, as another

way of involving ourselves in the community that we live in.

Mark 12:30-31 sums it up: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

… ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

Questions (2):

How does being involved here affect your daily life? Within church

life? In other areas of your life?

Healthy Church Mark 3:

Seeks to find out what God wants – discerning the Spirit’s leading

rather than trying to please everyone.

Rev Susan said that we need to have good relationships with each other,

and with God. In order to take on new things, we may need to stop doing

some things that we’re already doing. It’s not always easy to move for-

ward, but a sense of unity with each other and going where God wants us

to go makes it easier. We should be led by faith and energised by faith,

and work together for God’s glory. We need to take the time to find out

where God wants us to go and where He wants to lead us. The reports

from Leadership Team and our Prayer Co-ordinator talk of seeking God’s

will in what we do as a Church body.

Questions (3):

Please share your ideas of where you think God might be leading us as

a church.

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Healthy Church Mark 4:

Faces the cost of change and growth – rather than resisting change and

fearing failure.

Rev Susan talked about change being a sign of life and of growth, a fact of life.

We are all constantly changing. God wants to change us, to change our hearts to

be in line with His own. We need to stop and take time to reflect on what we’re

doing. We need to take risks and step out in faith, and not be afraid to fail.

Even when we think we’ve failed, we often haven’t. We need to be open to

respond to situations and change what we do and how we think, and be prepared

to try new things and learn from them. We can read of new things and changes

in the reports from Property Committee (new windows and changes to the

building), Leadership Team and the Youth activities (current discussion about

how to move forward with Youth work). Change can be difficult, and cause

pain, conflict and puzzlement, but we need to move forward for the good of the

Church.

Questions (4):

Are you prepared to be involved in exploring any changes God is asking us to

make?

Election to Office Leadership Team

Thanks were given to Derek Maidens and Myra Wood who were both standing

down from Leadership Team, and to Derek as he stands down from the role of

Treasurer.

Heather Corry, Val Dumbleton, Andrew Hornsby, Kathy Lancaster, Richard

Melling and Christopher Norman were re-elected for another year.

Dave Postle (Treasurer), Gill Thomas and Lester Kitching were elected to join

them on the Leadership Team.

Vestry Stewards

Val Dumbleton, Ray Dumbleton, Mandy Gilchrist, Lester Kitching, Anna

Postle, Lesley Taylor, Sandra Snowden and Glyn Thompson were re-elected for

another year Myra Wood was elected to join the Vestry Stewards.

Communion Stewards

Denise Langridge (Evening), Kate Melling, Sylvia Parkinson, Anna

Postle (Co-ordinator), Dave Postle, Sandra Snowden, Peter Snowden

were re-elected for another year.

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Representatives from this meeting to the Church Council

Barry Crawford, Ray Dumbleton, David Greet, Denise Langridge, Patrick

Mickleburgh, Elizabeth Norman, Sandra Snowden, Lesley Taylor, Joanne

Tofton, Janet Tutty and Maureen Whitfield were re-elected for another year.

There are currently two vacancies for representatives to the Church Council. It

was agreed by the meeting that Rev Susan should be given authority to make a

decision, should any volunteers come forward. If anyone would like to volun-

teer, therefore, they should speak to Rev Susan.

(After the meeting both Derek Maidens and Myra Wood volunteered to be on

Church Council. Rev Susan approved them both)

Secretary to the Church Council

April Baker was re-elected for another year.

Representatives to the Circuit Meeting

Andrew Hornsby, Lester Kitching, Dave Postle (Treasurer), and Richard

Melling with Sandra Snowden and Ray Dumbleton as Reserves, were all

re-elected for another year.

Rev Susan said that Derek Maidens has been handling communication during

his time on the Leadership Team, and now that he has stood down there will be a

period of adjustment, so we may all need to be patient as we work out the best

way to move forward with this.

Healthy Church Mark 5:

Operates as a community – rather than functioning as a club or religious

organisation.

The Sunday Club children and Denise Langridge shared a sketch, entitled The

Cake, about the body of Christ being made up of many different parts.

Rev Susan talked about how we need to value and work with one another, and

the importance of team work. She said that it wasn’t just the Minister who had

the responsibility to make things happen and do things. She specifically

mentioned the need to work together regarding Safeguarding. She also stressed

that Sunday Club desperately needs more helpers, and encouraged people who

may be able to help to speak to Denise Langridge. There would be Safeguarding

procedures to be followed, but nothing too arduous. Leadership Team are

already planning for a possible Church Weekend Away in September

2017, and are struggling to find a venue that is near enough and not too

expensive. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, then please speak to

Rev Susan or a member of the Leadership Team as soon as possible

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Questions (5):

How have you been welcomed in this church?

Do you feel your gifts are used here?

Do you feel your gifts are known about here?

Do you want your gifts to be known about/ used here?

What are your gifts?

Healthy Church Mark 6:

Makes room for all - being inclusive rather than exclusive.

Rev Susan read Acts 2:42-47, and talked about the early Church. Habits that the

early believers developed, for example, breaking bread, known as Holy Habits.

The Circuit will be exploring these ideas in September, and we are encouraged

to join in to help us to become more like the Church that God wants us to be.

We need to be inclusive, not exclusive. We need to embrace diversity, which

will enable us to grow. Everyone needs to be encouraged to grow in faith. We

need to share our faith so that others can know the freedom that Christ offers

them.

The Sunday Club children had made a cardboard representation of Christ’s

body, and everyone was encouraged to think where they fit within the body of

Christ – are you a hand, or a foot, or an ear, etc?

Questions (6):

To what extent do you feel you belong here?

How long have you been coming to this church?

What is your age bracket?

How strong is your faith in God?

Where are you in your relationship with God?

Would you like to know more?

Healthy Church Mark 7:

Does a few things and does them well – focused rather than frenetic.

Rev Susan reminded us about Jesus healing the deaf and mute man. People saw

Jesus heal him, and said that He had done everything well. She asked if that

described us – do we do everything well? We need to get the basics right –

public worship, pastoral duties, baptisms and weddings. Are we unhurried? Do

people feel loved? Are we bringing Good News? We need to seek God before

we can do all that right.

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We need to enjoy what we do, and also feel relaxed about what we don’t

do. There might be both laughter and tears, but we need to discover what

we’re really good at and do that. We shouldn’t be trying to impress or

achieve, instead we should be doing God’s will in God’s way. We need

to practise what we preach.

Questions (7):

What is the best thing we do as a church?

To what extent are we sharing the good news in all we do? Please

specify where you think we could do better.

Rev Susan finished the meeting by saying that we want people to feel

included and have a place. God has led us this far and will continue to do

so. We need to listen to Him and follow where He wants us to go.

Meeting closed with Prayer and a Blessing, and singing ‘We Want to See

Jesus Lifted High’.

Date of next Meeting:

Date to be arranged during May 2017.

Golf

A golf player is a person who can drive 70 miles an hour in traffic with perfect ease, but who goes to pieces on a two-foot putt if somebody coughs.

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Be like a pumpkin

A lady had recently become a Christian

and been baptised. Curious, one of her col-

leagues at work asked her what it was like

to be a Christian.

The lady was caught off guard and didn't

know how to answer. Then she saw the office

‘jack-o'-lantern’ on a nearby desk and blurted: "Well, it's

like being a pumpkin."

Her colleague asked her to explain that one. And so she said:

“Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and

washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being

around all the other pumpkins.

“Then He cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out

from inside you. He removes all those seeds of doubt, hate,

greed, etc. “Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts

His light inside of you to shine for all to see.

“It is our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or

come inside and be something new and bright."

Are you something new and bright? Will you be smiling

today, and shining with His light?

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Rev Paul Hardingham on the best way to get things done…

Nehemiah: prayer, planning and preparation

Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the broken walls of the city of Jerusalem. He was cupbearer to Artaxerxes, the Persian king

when he heard the news. We have our own ‘broken walls’ that need rebuilding, in our workplaces and communities, or among family and friends. What can we learn from Nehemiah’s response?

Firstly, he prayed: for guidance, that God would make the king help him. It was a capital offense to be sad in the king’s presence,

yet he was able to raise the matter with him, when the king asked ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill?’ (Nehemiah 2:1-2).

Secondly, Nehemiah was someone who planned. He didn’t embark on this project without thinking about materials he needed and the

tasks of the workers. ‘The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ and Nehemiah was able to tell him (Nehemiah 2:4-9).

Finally, he was thoroughly prepared. Before telling the people what God wanted him to do, Nehemiah went out on his own at night and toured the broken walls and burnt gates of the city, to fully

understood the size of the task before them (Nehemiah 2:11-16). Is God calling us to take on a challenging task: visiting a lonely

person, providing support to a lone parent, or taking on a leadership role in our youth group? Or is He leading us to step out in faith in our workplace, or get more involved in our church or

neighbourhood? Like Nehemiah, we need to prepare well, taking time to pray about the people and places where God is calling us to serve. And like him, we can ask for the guidance and strength

that comes from the ‘Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God’ (1:5).

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We would like to welcome you to Scartho Methodist Church if

you are a visitor or newcomer. Below is some information

which might prove helpful.

HOUSEGROUPS We have a range of housegroups meeting during the week.

Please feel free to contact the person responsible for any

group for more details of venue etc. You are welcome to try

any group, or move if you choose to

Monday 2pm contact Kathy Lancaster tel 591095

Tuesday 10.00am contact Sue Burton tel 245632

8.00pm contact Gill Thomas tel 276972 Wednesday 10.00am contact Patrick Mickleburgh tel 870769 Wednesday 8.00pm contact Richard Melling tel 07889862458

Richard.melling@hotmail.co.uk

Thursday 10.00am contact Heather Corry tel 872658

Sunday 7.30pm contact Inga Greet tel 475536

Prayer meeting in Church 2nd Tuesday 6:45-7:45pm also

1st & 3rd Saturday Morning 9—10am

Christian Meditation Meeting—2nd Friday of the month 10-11am

(in crèche)

October Services: See you there! 2nd October— Andrew Hornsby—Harvest Festival 1030am—all age worship

9th October— Ian Knights - 1030am

Rev Jade Bath 6pm

16th October—Rev Susan Chambers—9am Holy Communion

Angela Wilson 1030am

23rd October—Rev Susan Chambers—1030 Holy Communion

Kathy Lancaster—6pm—Testimony Service