www.stivesmethodistchurch.org.

uk

April 2010 Newsletter

St Ives Methodist Church
27, The Waits,
St Ives,
Cambridgeshire.
PE27 5BY

Minister: Rev Matt Finch

Tel: 01480 462293
Mobile: 07968 692390
Email: matt.finch@simc.co.uk

Sunday Services
4th April
10:30am Simon Oliver
Easter Sunday

11th April 10:30am Matt Finch

Matt Finch
18th April 10:30am
All Age Worship

25th April 10:30am Pat Paddon

Matt Finch
Holy Communion
2nd May 10:30am
followed by
Annual Church Meeting

A loop system is in use in this church. In order to

use this please put your hearing aid
to the ‘T’ position
 A warm welcome to anyone who is visiting
St Ives Methodist Church for the first time. Please stay for
a free cup of tea or coffee in the church after the service.

Children’s corner
Activities are available at the back of church. Please
feel free to join us at any time during the service.

Church Meetings
St Ives Methodist Church (SIMC) run various groups that meet on
different days of the week. For more details of a specific group’s
events, please pick up a leaflet from the leaflet rack in the
corridor opposite the kitchen.

Day Time Meeting

Mondays Fellowship and Bible
2-4 pm House Group
(alternate weeks) Study
9:30 – Morning Prayers / A special time of
Tuesdays
10am Communion reflection
10- Meet other parents,
Tuesdays 11:30am
Toddlers Group have a chat

10 -12 Drop in for a cup of

Tuesdays Open Door
noon tea and a chat

Afternoon Hymns, prayer,

Tuesdays 2 pm
Fellowship various speakers.
Rummikub, knitting,
Thursdays 2pm-4pm Social Group
dominoes and tea!
Thursdays Various speakers on
st rd 7:30 pm Open Circle
(1 and 3 ) topics of interest

Sundays 7:30 pm Phos Young adults group.

A letter from the Minister...
I was recently sharing with some school
children about why Easter is important to
Christians. It was wonderful to see the shock
on their faces when I told them that Easter
Sunday is more important than Christmas.
‘But you only get eggs at Easter, why are they
better than Christmas presents?’ one of the
little girls replied.

It got me wondering if sometimes as churches we forget the fact that

we are an ‘Easter’ faith. Do we truly take in the enormity of the first
Easter morning when Jesus appeared to Mary, one of his most
faithful companions. In that moment having remembered the horror
of what Jesus has suffered, so we can rejoice that death is not the
end. The hope of the Christian faith is that no matter the injustice of
this world, the despair of death, the pain of loss, the darkness of
dreams shattered, Jesus has broken their power on us and offers us
all hope and life.

We are a people whose message is clear - that full life is found in

Jesus Christ, his ministry, yes, his death, yes, but most of all his
resurrection! We have a hope that cannot be contained by this world,
bought with money, taken by force, nor be earned by hard work. We
must simply receive it as the gift that God intends it to be.

Easter is a time for rejoicing. If all of our life seems to be tears and
struggles there is hope in Christ. If our lives are full of good things,
the news is that Jesus offers us life in all it fullness beyond what we
can imagine or achieve. May each of you experience this life afresh or
the for first time. And with Mary who first saw, may we transformed
by our encounter with the risen Jesus.

Matt
Church Events
Church Annual General Meeting
All are welcome to attend St Ives Methodist Church Annual
General Meeting. This is the occasion for us to reflect upon our
life and witness in the year that has past, and importantly
consider where God is leading us in the year to come.

It will be on the 2nd May after our morning service. We would

welcome you all to listen, reflect, pray and contribute to our
discussion. If you need to produce a report please make sure your
reports are returned to Pat Goates by April 20th.

We also want to remind ourselves that church is not just about

meetings it is about spending time together. To this end after our
meeting we are going to have a bring and share lunch. So watch
out for announcements!

House Group
The House Group reconvenes on Monday 26th April at 3, Clare
Court at 2pm. Over the next six weeks Marion Rutherford will be
leading us in a study of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Anyone is
welcome to join us.

Open Circle Spring Supper

A reminder that the Open Circle Spring Supper is on Thursday 15th
April at 7pm.Tickets are £5 each and are available from Evelyn
Watmore and Lilian Temple.
Church Family News
Congratulations to Michael Witherspoon and the inflatable Fair
Trade banana. Michael came third in the public speaking
competition at Wheatfield School and chose to put the case for
the importance of fair trade for all.

We give thanks that we were able to welcome Erin, daughter of

Fran and Simon Megicks, into the family of the Church on Sunday
21st March.

We continue to remember in our prayers at this time all those

elderly and frail members of our congregation who are no longer
able to worship with us on a Sunday morning.

We are particularly mindful of John and Mary Hindley, who are

very much in our thoughts and prayers, June Lawrence who is
currently awaiting eye surgery and Doris Watson recovering from
the removal of a cataract.

We also remember Jill Mansfield taking part in Trek Spain to raise

money for research into Parkinson’s Disease, and John Finch
running the marathon for the children’s charity Whizz-Kidz.

I would like to thank everyone for the lovely cards and messages
received on my 80th birthday, but most of all for the generous
donations for The Smile Train which totalled £200. What better
birthday gift could one have! God Bless, it’s great to be part of
such a church family.
Pat Wass
Please Pray...
As a church we believe that prayer makes a difference because
God listens and answers.

Please pray for the individuals from our church family named on
the previous page and hold them in your prayers throughout
April, and pray for those not named whose needs are known to
God.

If there are any items of family news, or if there is anything that

you would like to be prayed for please write it in the Prayer Book
at the back of the church, let the Leadership Team know or
contact prayer@simc.co.uk .

Notices
Together for Haiti – A Special Performance
A unique theatrical fundraising event will be taking place in our
church on Saturday 17th April at 7:30pm. Together for Haiti will
include local groups SIMADS, The Centre Players and St Ives
Youth Theatre coming together for a one-night-only special
performance evening. Details at simc.co.uk/Haiti. Tickets are
available from Hepher’s Electrical on Crown Street, at the back of
church or from Wendy Ware (01480) 370185 subject to
availability.
Report back from the ‘Music at St Ives’ meeting:
As you will have read in last month’s newsletter, a number of us
met to talk about the music ministry we offer here at our church.
After spending some time thinking about some of the purposes of
singing in worship, we explored our own situation at St Ives. We
looked at the things that we already appreciate in our music, and
then dreamed some dreams about how we might move forward.
Recognising what we already have, and what we might do in the
future, we came up with these five action points to look at over
the next few months:

1. How do we learn new songs? Set up a process to enable this.

2. Search for talent within our congregation. Are there
musicians we are not using, or don’t know about?
3. Explore the way in which the choir is formed and used.
4. Think, imagine and consult on where else the organ might
be situated.
5. Research and purchase an electric piano in order to better
support congregational singing.

If you are interested in being involved in any way, please keep an

ear out as we progress with these action points over the next few
months, or speak directly to Ruth or Matt.

Library Van visit

The Good News Library Van will once again be visiting the church
hall on Tuesday 23rd March from 10:30- 11:45 am. Browse
through a selection of Christian Resources whilst enjoying a cup
of tea or coffee. Resources may be borrowed free of charge.
Bank Holiday Market – Easter Monday 5th April
The Afternoon Fellowship will once again be serving
refreshments from the front of the church from 10am-3pm.
There will also be a bric-a-brac stall. Come along and support this
fundraising effort for the church.

Reminder: Annual Reports Required!

All church groups and official representatives should by now be
aware that annual reports are urgently required. We are very
grateful to Pat Goates who has once again agreed to co-ordinate
the report. It would be helpful if all reports could be sent as soon
as possible to pat.goates@simc.co.uk or left in the pigeon holes.
The final deadline will be 20th April and none can be accepted
after that date. Matt has produced guidelines to follow which all
groups should have received.

Thursday Afternoon Social Group

This new group is now established and meets each Thursday
(except the last Thurs. in the month). We meet in the small
meeting room from 2-4pm, and either play games (Rummikub;
scrabble; draughts etc) or any favourite hobby. Some folk just
enjoy sitting to chat over a cup of tea. If you would like to get to
know a few different people, and enjoy company, then do come
along one Thursday - anyone is welcome. If transport is needed
then ring Barbara (tel. 381174) or Gladys (tel. 355 218).

Election Hustings Meeting

Over the coming weeks it will be difficult to avoid politicians
trying to get our attention ahead of the 2010 General Election.
Churches Together in Huntingdon & Godmanchester are
organising an Election Hustings Meeting at Huntingdon
Methodist Church on Thursday 29th April at 7.30pm. It is hoped
candidates for the Huntingdon parliamentary consistency will be
present to answer questions.

The Work of Samaritan’s Purse in the Crimea

There will be a meal followed by a presentation from Sue Shorter
on her experiences with Samaritan's Purse in the Crimea on
Saturday 24th April at Huntingdon Methodist Church. Meal at
6:30pm, talk begins approximately 7:45pm. Tickets and details
from David or Jane Bushby on 01480 350893 or by email on
david.bushby1@ntlworld.com

Black Bin Appeal

Thank you everyone who has given to the black bin collection for
families in need in our local area. The family support team have
been so encourage by our donations.

A reminder!
This newsletter can only include diary dates and events that are
submitted for publication before the specified deadline. Please
do not presume your event will be included if details have not
been given in. Can all groups make sure they know who has this
responsibility to avoid any confusion. Thank you!
 April:feature
Each month the newsletter will include a special feature about one
particular part of our church or church members. For this month we
look at the role of the pastoral visitor and discover a little more
about this crucial aspect of church family life.

The church family in some ways is like many other families – with
different ages, different needs and different experiences. One thing
that is the same, though, is that we are on the journey of life and a
journey of faith together. A journey that has strains and struggles, as
well as joys and celebrations.

At the heart of any family should be a concern for each other. This is
best demonstrated within the church family through our commitment
to pastoral care and support.

Church isn’t about visiting a building once

a week – it’s about being part of a living
and breathing family. A family made up of
different shapes and different sizes,
young and old, with different interests,
different abilities and different needs.

The pastoral care team is made up of a wide number of church

members who each become responsible for visiting a small number of
church members on an occasional or regular basis.

A pastoral visitor aims to maintain face-to-face contact throughout

the year to their appointed members. If you are a member of this
church, you should already know that you receive your annual
membership ticket from your pastoral visitor.
Your pastoral visitor will also be able to help you keep in touch with
the church family by delivering the church newsletter to you if you’re
not able to get to church.

If you’re not able to get to church, or have been away for a while,
your pastoral visitor will be happy to keep you in touch with church
news and events.

A pastoral visitor also has time to sit with you and listen to your needs
and support you, where you are, today, in your struggles and
difficulties – and also celebrate with you in your joys and successes.
You can also telephone your pastoral visitor if you have a particular
need or require support or prayer. They’re there to support you.

Pastoral Visitors are themselves supported by a committed team of

Pastoral Leaders, who meet with our minister on occasion to discuss
pastoral support within the church family.

If you’re new to the church and would be interested in having a

designated pastoral visitor, please speak to any of the Pastoral Team
or contact our minister, Matt.

If you’re not new to the church, have you considered becoming a

pastoral visitor? We are looking for new pastoral visitors to join the
current team. Speak to any of us for an informal chat. Training, where
needed, can be provided.

PASTORAL LEADER TEAM

Ruth Judd
Ann Collingwood
Flo Craven Wilson
Margaret Down
Barbara Cooper
Mon 5th 10am-3pm Bank Holiday Refreshments at church
Thurs 8th 2pm-4pm Social Group

Mon 12th 2pm House Group (3 Clare Court)

Tues 13th 2pm Afternoon Fellowship
Tues 13th 10 – 12 noon Open Door
Tues 13th 2pm-3:30pm Afternoon Fellowship
Thurs 15th 2pm-4pm Social Group
Thurs 15th 7pm Open Circle Spring Supper

Sun 18st 7:30pm Phos

Tues 20th 9:30am Communion/Prayers
Tues 20th 10 – 11:30am Parents and Toddlers
Tues 20th 10 – 12 noon Open Door
Tues 20th 2:00pm Afternoon Fellowship

Sun 25th 7:30pm Phos

Mon 26th 2:00pm House Group (3 Clare Court)
Mon 26th 7:30pm Pastoral Visitors Meeting
Tues 27th 9:30am Communion/Prayers
Tues 27th 10 – 11:30am Parents and Toddlers
Tues 27th 10 – 12 noon Open Door
Tues 27th 2pm Afternoon Fellowship

. Forthcoming notices:
If you would like a notice to go into the next monthly
Newsletter, please contact Stuart Wilkinson.

Email: info@simc.co.uk
Telephone: 01480 389623
Write in the purple notice book at the back of the church.

Deadline for the next issue: 11am Tuesday 27th April.

Next issue available Sunday 2nd May.