Barnes in Common

the magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
January/February 2007

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Baptist Church   |   Holy Trinity   |   Methodist Church
St Mary's   |   St Michael's   |   St Osmund's

Baptist Church

How reassuring at the beginning of a new year - with a vast unknown before us, and our future unclear - are the words of the Lord Jesus to his followers, "I am the way, the truth and the life", and his wonderful promise to the same, "I will never leave you or forsake you." It's that reassurance that leads us to commit ourselves anew to him and his service at our annual Covenant Service. We are reminded that, "The renewing of our relationships with God and one another in a covenant service is not about signing a contract. It is a visible symbol that we are there for one another. It is a sign in our hearts and lives that we are making ourselves freshly available to God for gospel service in his world." As we journey on through the year ahead of us we will be seeking and discovering, both individually and collectively, what shape and form that gospel service will take - and where it will take us. Sunday worship, mid-week study and fellowship, prayer meetings and visitation together with church meetings and deacons meetings will all necessarily have a part to play in that journey - but ever its focus must be upon he who is "the way, the truth, the life". Otherwise, ultimately we will find ourselves to have travelled in vain. So, we journey on in faith and assurance seeking humbly (though often so poorly) to follow our Guide - and bid a 'Happy New Year' to fellow travellers.

Graham Pulham

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Holy Trinity

It hardly seems possible that a year has passed since my licensing in November 05.

We have had a most challenging year with major and exciting changes to our orders of service in September as well as the launch of the Team Youth group. Our All Souls service on the 2nd of November was both poignant and elating and reminded us of all those who have gone before in the service of God. Later in the week, on a lighter note, we celebrated with a wonderful firework party with food, soup and mulled wine and of course "fireworks".

Our Christmas fair in the Church on Saturday 25th November was a resounding success, although the weather in the morning threatened to put a damper on things. However it cleared up in the afternoon and we raised over £600 - a very big thank you to all who spent so much time and energy in the fair's preparations.

In 2007 we will be increasing our links with the community. We have received local government funding for a monthly holistic evening to be held in church which will consist of social, spiritual, listening and complimentary therapy provision for all the community. The evening (including therapy) will be free of charge to all who come. Also we are hoping to offer a monthly "Bible Study" group, which will be held in the Vicarage.

Jean Boulton-Reynolds

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Methodist Church

Our 'First Sunday' series continues to give us a lively atmosphere all day at the beginning of each month, when we're open from just before 8am until about 5pm. The December visiting speaker was Peter Bounds, whose long and distinguished career in Local Government included 8 years as Chief Exec in Liverpool. The January speaker (on Jan 7th at 11.45am) will be from the Primary Care Trust, and in February we welcome the High Master of St Paul's School. We've decided to continue the First Sunday series through until May.

The last thing we want to do is take other local Christians away from their own acts of worship, but we've been happy to welcome a number of CTiB friends to our lunchtime session, and we really mean it when we say that anyone's welcome at any stage - even if just for coffee and to read the papers!

Roger Hutchings

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St Mary's

A happy new year to you all! May it be a blessed one! We look forward to seeing many of you at the annual Covenant Service, when we renew the covenant made between the six churches of Barnes. This year, it will be at St Mary's on Sunday, January 21st at 4pm. Over the last few weeks, we have had a couple of meetings looking, with people from the ecumenical movement outside Barnes, at what we do together. It has been very good to hear how strong our links appear to those outside our community and I hope we will feel encouraged by that. It is very easy to talk of an 'ecumenical winter' when the hopes of unity of the 1960s and 70s have all but gone and we are stricken by disputes about gay clergy, intercommunion, church schools, amongst other issues. What is real for us is more important than what happens at the 'top' of our churches - it is the natural growing together of Christians of different denominations, each rejoicing in their own tradition but rejoicing even more in the shared Christian heritage that binds us all together. Long may it continue and deepen.

Ross Collins

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St Michael's Church

Over the last four months a group from St Michael`s have been meeting as a monthly book group. This has proved a very worthwhile experience and has led us all into sharing our understanding of the Christian faith using the book as a springboard. It is an opportunity to discover where other people are in relation to their faith. We have recently been looking at a classic, "God of Surprises" by Gerard Hughes. Hughes is a great believer that the treasure is within us and we are called to attend and learn from what is going on inside us. We have also enjoyed a series of essays entitled "Why I am still an Anglican" edited by Caroline Chartres. Some of the essays we could relate to, others not so easily, but we were able to hear the views of others that differ from our own.
It has been suggested that we invite other churches in Barnes to form their own book group, where together we read the same books then at the end of the year vote on the best of the selection and come together to discuss it. If anyone would like to share in this venture please get in touch.

Paul Holland

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St Osmund's Church

We maintain our twin interests in Tanzania and Uganda. The annual Bazaar raised over £2,000 for the works started by Father Dan Cashman in Tanzania. When he had arrived in his parish, girls had no education. He made correcting this part of his apostolate. Dr Peter Doherty and Barbara have been in Somalia and Uganda in November. They made the journey to see Fr Romano's parish in Amuru. This is far from the usual tourist haunts so we look forward to hearing impressions of life in the camps where the people have to live seeking safety from the rebel army.

During the Christmas novena we had the Junior School come into church with their families for a celebration of Nine Lessons and Carols. The parish Carol Concert, led by Fergus, had friends from the other churches contributing to our readings and carols.

Epiphany has moved for us this year to the thirteenth day of Christmas as it is on Sunday, January 7th. I wonder what my true love will send me as a break from those twelve drummers and their drumming?

The last feast looking back to Christmas is the Presentation of Our Lord, or Candlemas, on February 2nd. There is a very popular devotion to St Blaise on February 3rd, when throats are blessed. He was Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, martyred in 314. It is said that he effected the cure of a young boy choking on a fishbone, who was brought to him while he was awaiting execution.

Fr Anthony Logan

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