News from the Churches - July 2010

Zambia Trip

The group will be led by Stephen Haward (right) and Katie Spencer (top centre). Participants are Joe Hind, Rebecca Bushell, Faith Taylor, Hannah Taylor, Nadine Willemsen and Aniko Agardi, a teacher from Hungary, Churches are encouraged to invite members of the team to talk about the visit.

When Alan was made to think
The question 'Why is Easter important to you?' from a primary school child at Bankhead, Glasgow, brought Kingswood minister Alan Gibbon up short. I had to think over that question,' he wrote in the church newsletter, 'and answer it in a way they might just understand. I said that Easter was important because it makes everything else real. It makes everything that Jesus says and does come alive with new importance. That his way of trying to live was worth following. It was a message that welcomed the outcasts, persecuted, the poor, the homeless. At the end of his earthly ministry Jesus stood in front of his disciples and said "Go and make....."
'If I were to finish that sentence today I would say "Go and make a difference". Jesus made a difference, and we have to try and make a difference.'

Ex-detective takes on Gloucester pastorate
A former police detective has been inducted as part-time pastor of the church at Kingswood, Gloucestershire. He is Adrian Wyatt (48), who retired from the police in April after 30 years service. Now he says he is 'moving from law to grace'.

After completing mission work in Ukraine and Kenya, Adrian was introduced to the church at Kingswood when working as a volunteer drug educator for Hope UK. For some 17 years he was a detective, latterly specialising in child abuse and with vulnerable adults, interviewing suspects and victims. He taught on the subject in London, Bristol, Jersey and Cyprus, and was also a police family liaison officer. He has been married to Sheren for five years She is a chef who works for people with learning difficulties, and helps them into employment.

Adrian says he became a Christian some 11 years ago at an Alpha course. Sheren, a Christian for longer has been in membership at Kingswood for three years. Most of their Christian life has been with the Church of the Nazarene.

The picture shows Adrian with his hands on the shoulders of his wife Sheren.

Left is Deacon Rose Fry and also shown are Isobel Kelly, Lucy May, Matt Kirby, Jeff Broderick, Terry Palmer, Lin Hawksworth, Ken Thomas and Jenny Amesbury (right), church secretary.

Said Rose Fry: 'Having just celebrated our 350th year in the village we are looking forward to an exciting future.'

Youth talks
Representatives of two youth organisations in the Congregational Federation - 'Go' and CFYouth are in discussion about the best way young people's work can be operated in the future. Members of the Council heard that an 'action group' had met with representatives from each group. More meetings were planned with the hope of a further report in September to the Christian Ministries Committee. In the meantime programmes planned by both units would proceed.
Members congratulated youth representative Mark Williams on the way he outlined some of the problems being tackled in formulating a new youth scheme.

Pews go
Three long pews have been removed from the front of the worship area at Clarendon Park Church, Leicester 'so making the church more suitable for concerts and special occasions' reports church secretary Rindy Hoegger. Planning consent had to be obtained, and they had to be sawn into nine foot lengths to get them off the premises.

KFC group
They've started KFC at Scunthorpe
church. But that's nothing to do with chickens: it's 'Kids for Christ', says a report to the Federation Council. The group has a project supporting street children in Columbia.

Years add up
A man who was treasurer of the East Midlands Area of the Federation for 32 years was thanked at the Area spring Assembly. Michael Hockaday has retired, but will remain in an advisory capacity for the new treasurer, Mick Sawyer, of Narborough. Area chairman Peter Damen (Uppingham) presented Michael with a cheque, and he received a garden gift voucher for his wife Edna from Area Secretary June Smith (Belper).