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Barnes in Commonthe magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
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Church NewsBaptist Church | Holy
Trinity | Methodist Church Baptist Church
Fabric matters are often high on the agenda and although progress is being made regarding both repairs and redecoration it does sometimes make one long for some of those Mediterranean and Middle Eastern climes where roofs serve only to shade and structural work can be attended to with the replacement of a new mud brick or two. At the beginning of the year we’ll be redecorating the porch and entrance hall and getting a new carpet for the baptistery cover. Tea & coffee mornings will continue on the first Saturday of each month (10am-12.00) so please come along, enjoy refreshments, a chat and perhaps even a quiz! We’ll also be looking to develop our links with our brothers and sisters in the West Bengal (Kolkata) House Church movement as we share news, prayer requests and act to support each other. After the Christmas break the Ladies will be restarting their Tuesday meetings at 2.45p.m. and give an open invitation to any of the ‘fairer sex’ who would like to come along and enjoy an hour or so of friendship, discussion and general chat. On Thursday evenings we’ll be using the DVD series ‘Christianity – Why it makes sense’ for our midweek study and discussion. For more information about this or any other aspect of our ministry please get in touch. (see Who's Who for contact details). Graham Pulham
Holy Trinity
With memories of Christmas still fresh in our minds, my thoughts are now turning to the warmer climes of India. At the end of January, Denis and I will be travelling to Rajasthan to spend two weeks in the Thar Desert. We shall be going with others on behalf of Wells for India to monitor their work with partner agencies to bring water, hope and life to the Dalit people in that region. We look forward to sharing our findings with everyone when we return. January also sees the launch of two important new projects at Holy Trinity. On Tuesday 20th our new Parent and Toddler Music Group begins. It will meet in church from 9.30-11.30am every week during term time and will include craft activities and a circle music time with instruments. This group is being run in partnership with the Castelnau Community Centre and the cost is the same: £2.50 per child. On Thursday 22nd we shall open between 10.00-12.00 for our Over 50’s to enjoy coffee, tea and cakes. Once again this will be each week during term time and we offer a warm welcome to everyone. If you would like to know more about both of these new events please telephone Lilian Richmond 0208 274 0315. We are very grateful to those who have responded to our recent Appeal and we are now preparing the second stage of works which is the internal redecoration of the church. We now have a new website so do visit us on www.holytrinitychurchbarnes.org. Jean Boulton-Reynolds
Methodist Church
Another new year. We consider new year resolutions which we probably keep for about four weeks. We also think about the things we have to do – in the house, in the garden – maybe book a holiday, spring cleaning, take the children to the dentist. The Methodist church new year starts in September, so we are now a third of the way through, but that doesn’t mean we can relax about making New Year resolutions: as we think of the physical structure of our church, the paintwork on the outside of the church needs renewing, the roof over the Common room is leaking, the disabled access needs looking at. These are just a few of the practical things that need doing. What about our members, our visitors? Do we welcome them sufficiently warmly? Do we make them feel at home? Is our worship all embracing? What about our relationship to God that would possibly help us answer some of these questions? This is worth thinking about, “In the beginning God...” (Genesis 1:1). How much of God that we know, determines the degree of our commitment and services to Him and to one another. To know Him and make Him known would be a good resolution for this year. Ebute Obiabo
St Mary's
We are delighted to be hosting the Covenant Renewal Service in January. It will take place on the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul (traditionally the major day for prayers for Christian Unity) on January 25th at 4pm and we look forward to seeing you there. For most of next term, I will be on sabbatical, something I have been due to take for ten years. I will be in and around Barnes for most of the time, doing some reading, particularly around the nature of global finance and how the financial systems of the world can be reformed for the benefit of the developing world. I should (security permitting) be leading a small group going to Southern Sudan for the opening of the girls’ school we have been helping to be built with our assistant priest, Joseph Ayok-Loewenberg. It has been a long-held dream of Joseph to build this school in his home area in rural north-west Southern Sudan and the story of our progress (and his life) have been a major feature of Barnes in Common over the last couple of years. I look forward to being able to report back to you on our return. Ross Collins
St Michael's
One of the highlights of the year at St Michael’s is the Advent carol service when we invite all the churches in Barnes to celebrate with us the season of Advent through poems, readings and prayers. The service takes place in candlelight to emphasize the movement from darkness into light. It was good to see so many friends from the other churches this year and we even had a group of visitors from the synagogue in Putney. The service is always followed by a party in the centre afterwards, no doubt the first of many parties before Christmas. This service offers us all an opportunity to stand back and simply reflect upon the mystery of Christ’s arrival among us not only in a stable but at the end of the ages. Later we have in a lighter vein The Community Carol Service where the service is led by the Barnes band again followed by refreshments. Here there is a sense of joyful anticipation as Christmas is just around the corner. There is always something rather wonderful about singing carols with a band and we are very grateful that we are supported in this way every year. In January we will be mending the upper windows of the church so there will be scaffolding inside and out, but life will go on as usual despite this disruption. Paul Holland
St Osmund's
Father Dominic Allain is settling into the Parish and getting to know us all. He was warmly welcomed at his Induction Ceremony on Friday, 28th November. The Mass was led by Bishop Paul Hendricks. It was attended by nine priests from the neighbouring parishes and many friends from his previous parish in Norbiton, as well as by the clergy from the other Christian Churches in Barnes who were warmly welcomed by Father Dominic and by the Bishop who spoke of the strength of Churches Together in Barnes. The Induction was the second visit by Bishop Paul in a matter of weeks since on the 1st November he came to St Osmund’s to confirm 32 of our young people. It was a wonderful occasion and was followed by a joyful party in the hall. The amazing catering skills of many parishioners were greatly appreciated on both occasions! The CTiB Annual Forum on 25 November took place in St Osmund’s School hall so that our speaker, Mrs Maria Walbyoff, headmistress of the School, could accompany her talk with a very informative and thought-provoking Powerpoint presentation. She gave a most interesting talk in which she described her route to her present role and centred on her mission to bring spirituality through the inspiration and understanding of Catholic values into every aspect of School life. Those present also learnt much about the ethos of the School from seeing the information and exciting children’s work displayed all around us. We were left in no doubt about the key role the School plays in the life of the Parish. Cathie Sacré
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CONTENTS: Christian Worship in West Bengal 'To Have Done the Best Things in the Worst Times' Something a Little 'Light' Hearted | ||||||
