OUR COMMUNITY

ST. THOMAS’ CHURCH, KERESLEY, AND ST. THOMAS’ CHURCH, KERESLEY, AND ST. THOMAS’ CHURCH, KERESLEY, AND ST. THOMAS’ CHURCH, KERESLEY, AND KERESLEY V ILLAGE COMKERESLEY V ILLAGE COMKERESLEY V ILLAGE COMKERESLEY V ILLAGE COMMUNITY CHURCHMUNITY CHURCHMUNITY CHURCHMUNITY CHURCH

www.st www.st www.st www.st----thomasthomasthomasthomas----keresley.org.uk keresley.org.uk keresley.org.uk keresley.org.uk

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

St. Thomas’ Calendar and Notice Board

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Local news 3333

BBQ in pictures 4444

Bible reading 5555

Keresley Village Community Church Calendar

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Your life, your choice 6666

A prophet for our time

7777

Mouse page 8888

Crossword 8888

St Thomas’ past 5555

Everywhere I find

the signature, the autograph of God. Joseph Parker

St Thomas Church Hall, Wickham Close

Monday 27th ‘til Friday 31st July - 10.00 am–12 noon

For ages 5 to 11, £1 per day

Our Holiday Club 2009 is “The Beach Party” - an exciting opportunity to be with friends, play games, have fun and learn about God’s love for us.

We will be looking at different stories in from the Bible with a very watery theme!

Heaven’s Kitchen

The parish barbecue took place on Sunday 21st June. Dressed for the job(!), Andy Quinn watches over the cooking on the large grill. More pictures on page 4

And something completely

different . . .

T he Bishop of Coventry has given his backing to a charity's scheme to raise funds for better sanitation in Burundi, Africa - toilet twinning.

Right Reverend Christopher Cocksworth paid £60 to twin his smallest room with a latrine in Rutana Province.

Leamington Spa-based charity Cord Cord Cord Cord has introduced the scheme, with the money going to families returning to Burundi. A spokesman said the money was needed to improve hygiene.

The idea is people can twin their home or office toilets with one in Rutana Province, and can track it down to its exact location via Google Earth. Bishop Colin said the scheme was a "brilliant idea".

"It's a way in which we can have some fun while making a difference to a lot of people's lives," he said.

See www.toilettwinning.org for more

details!

JULY/AUGUST 2009 PAGE 2

Aug ustAug ustAug ustAug ust Sunday 2ndSunday 2ndSunday 2ndSunday 2nd 9am Holy Communion & Hymns - Ruth Walker 10.30am Holiday Club Service Club Leaders, Preacher

Steve Medley Sunday 9thSunday 9thSunday 9thSunday 9th 9am Holy Communion. Ruth Walker 10.30am Family Communion and Baptism. Peter Walker

Preacher: Pete Hudson Sunday 16thSunday 16thSunday 16thSunday 16th 9am Holy Communion and hymns. Rev Bob

Earnshaw 10.30am Family Worship. Rev Bob Earnshaw Sunday 23rdSunday 23rdSunday 23rdSunday 23rd 9am Holy Communion. Rev Pam Smith 10.30am Family Communion. Rev Pam Smith Sunday 30thSunday 30thSunday 30thSunday 30th 9am Holy Communion. Rev Jen Croft 10.30am Family Communion. Rev Jen Croft

SeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember Sunday 6thSunday 6thSunday 6thSunday 6th 9am Holy Communion and hymns 10.30am Family Service

JulyJulyJulyJuly Saturday 4thSaturday 4thSaturday 4thSaturday 4th 11am-4pm Exhibition and Sale of Art by Gloria Overton Sunday 5thSunday 5thSunday 5thSunday 5th 9am Holy Communion and hymns. Peter Walker 10.30am Family Service. Peter Walker Tuesday 9thTuesday 9thTuesday 9thTuesday 9th 1.30pm Refreshment Group. Galilee Room Sunday 12thSunday 12thSunday 12thSunday 12th 9am Holy Communion. Ruth Walker 10.30am Family Communion. Peter Walker, Preacher:

Pete Hudson Sunday 19thSunday 19thSunday 19thSunday 19th 9am Holy Communion & Hymns - Ruth Walker 10.30am Family Worship & Baptisms - Peter Walker Tuesday 21stTuesday 21stTuesday 21stTuesday 21st 1.30pm Refreshment Group. Galilee Room Sunday 26thSunday 26thSunday 26thSunday 26th 9am Holy Communion. Service to be confirmed 10.30am Family Communion. Canon Kenyon Wright Monday 29th to Friday 31stMonday 29th to Friday 31stMonday 29th to Friday 31stMonday 29th to Friday 31st 10am-12 Holiday Club

C H I L D R E N A N D Y O U N G P E O P L E

JULY/AUGUST 2009 PAGE 2

Sunday Morning Activities at St. Thomas’Sunday Morning Activities at St. Thomas’Sunday Morning Activities at St. Thomas’Sunday Morning Activities at St. Thomas’ 10.30am (during term time) 1st Sunday Family Service in Church 2nd Sunday 3-11s, Sunday School in Galilee Room,

11+, Pathfinders in the Church Hall. All join the service around 11.25am

3rd Sunday All ages start in Church 4th & 5th 3-11s, Sunday School in Galilee Room,

11+, Pathfinders in the Church Hall All join the service around 11.25am

This pattern may change occasionally for special services.

ST. THOMAS’ CHURCH CALENDAR

First Steps . . . with JesusFirst Steps . . . with JesusFirst Steps . . . with JesusFirst Steps . . . with Jesus

For babies and pre-school children with their parents and carers

Meets in the Galilee Room, weekly in term time

Mondays 1.30-2.30pm

Monday evenings, 7.30pm, Galilee RoomMonday evenings, 7.30pm, Galilee RoomMonday evenings, 7.30pm, Galilee RoomMonday evenings, 7.30pm, Galilee Room

(School Year 9 and above. Contact Steve (School Year 9 and above. Contact Steve (School Year 9 and above. Contact Steve (School Year 9 and above. Contact Steve Medley for more details)Medley for more details)Medley for more details)Medley for more details)

Daily Prayer: Daily Prayer: Daily Prayer: Daily Prayer: 8.30am,Monday, Wednesday and Friday at St Thomas’ Church, Tuesday at Keresley Village Community Church.

Uniformed Groups Meet in the Church Hall : 13th Brownies, 13th Brownies, 13th Brownies, 13th Brownies, Mondays, 6.00 - 7.30pm 9th Brownies9th Brownies9th Brownies9th Brownies, Wednesdays, 6.00 - 7.30pm 9th Guides9th Guides9th Guides9th Guides, Thursdays, 6.30 - 8.30pm Meet in the Scout Hut: 41st Cubs41st Cubs41st Cubs41st Cubs, Mondays, 6.45 - 8.30pm 41st Scouts41st Scouts41st Scouts41st Scouts, Tuesdays, 7.00 - 9.00pm 41st Beavers41st Beavers41st Beavers41st Beavers, Fridays, 6.00 - 7.30pm

(for 6-8 year olds )

Thursday at St T’s For 5-11 years Meets in the Galilee Room On Thursdays From 6pm to 7pm

Young People’s groups take a break for the Summer during the school holidays

OUR COMMUNITY PAGE 3

Refreshment for all Tuesday afternoons, 1.30-2.30pm in the Galilee Room

There will be meetings on 9th and 21st JulyThere will be meetings on 9th and 21st JulyThere will be meetings on 9th and 21st JulyThere will be meetings on 9th and 21st July.

We are proposing to arrange a trip out during August, more details in the Notice sheet in church nearer the time.

If you need transport or would like to request prayers, please contact Margaret

Bosworth on 7633 7932 leaving a message if necessary with your name and telephone number and she will ring you back.

On 22 June 2009, our contractor was able to put into place the new capstone specially made for the rebuilt pillar so completing the restoration project. The wall was rebuilt using the rescued stones from the old damaged wall, but the two pillars and one of the great capstones had to be cut from freshly quarried stone. The splendid result is shown in the photograph above.

“Our Community” travels Have you seen the pictures in the Coventry Telegraph where people have taken a copy of the paper to the other side of the world on their holiday?

If you would like to submit a picture by 28th August of you or your family with a copy of “Our Community” magazine taken somewhere you visit over the summer I will include it in the September issue.

Have a good holiday and safe travels Editor

Church wall completed

Looking ahead . . . There are plans to hold a Harvest Supper in

October this year.

More details in the September magazine,

and on the Notice sheets.

Family History If you know of anyone researching family history who has links to St Thomas’ they may be interested in the latest addition to that section of the church website.

The website now has additional burial register details on it:

OCY2 OCY2 OCY2 OCY2 ---- Old Church Yard 2 Old Church Yard 2 Old Church Yard 2 Old Church Yard 2 - this covers burials from 1901 to 1949.

This is in addition to OCY1 which covers burials from 1847 to 1900.

Christian Aid 2009 Thanks to all those who collected during Christian Aid Week in May. Individual collectors all receive a card with the amount for their allocated streets.

The total collected for the streets we covered was £403.95.

JULY/AUGUST 2009 PAGE 4

Parish Barbecue 2009

OUR COMMUNITY PAGE 5

OUR COMMUNITY PAGE 5

What were the local events and cares of the parish many decades ago?

Vicar’s letter of August 1919

Matters of a purely parochial nature seem too

insignificant to record in comparison with the

momentous events, which absorbed our thoughts

during the past month. We have shared in the

celebrations that will go down to posterity, as perhaps

the greatest in the world’s history. The Thanksgiving

Services on July 6th and the Peace Celebrations held

on the 19th bring to a close a period of vast issues in

the life of the nation.

The war has changed everything. The events of the

last five years are too great, too terrible and too near

to allow us to realize as yet much of their meaning.

We thank God with full hearts for deliverance from

enemies that threatened our existence as a people—

enemies of such strength that they were justified in

their belief that the war would be over in six months

against any defence.

We thank God for the magnificent courage and spirit

of the men who did “their bit”.

The triumph of victory is a commemoration of the

immortal dead, who died that we might live. In the

hour of thanksgiving we feel intensely at what a price

the victory has been gained. Our comfort lies in their

knowledge that the cause was won for which they

died.

The Editor in 1919 did a retrospective too!

The Editor was just spreading himself in a

description of the Outing, when something familiar

in the phraseology induced him to glance

backwards.

Here is the story of July, 1906, Our First Outing. If

we substitute Miss C Clarke and her helpers, for the

names mentioned and the date, the account can

stand.

“The Sunday School had their party on the 2nd,

and delightful one it was. Perfect weather, a pretty

drive to Stoneleigh, the beautiful park to wander

through, the river to paddle in. Tea artistically laid

out on a hill top in such force and profusion that it

successfully withstood the fierce onslaught. The

afternoon passed only too quickly in games and

races.

Hearty cheers were given for the subscribers and

teachers, then the drive home, feeling somewhat

weary, but very contented with our happy outing.

The catering was excellent, arranged by the Misses

Turner, Miss Hands, Miss H Rotherham, Miss Kerr”

And the Sub-Editor added:

[We have realised the labour saving advantages (?) of

turning the sermon stock, bit 'tis a happy idea to

work the same stunt with magazine fodder! - Sub Ed]

St Thomas’ Keresley and Coundon

eating well is an essential part of keeping healthy and we neglect it at our peril.

What practical steps can we take to do something about this? First of all, we should admit to ourselves that reading the Bible may well be more than simply a matter of opening the book and reading it. Some parts of Scripture are very accessible to most people while others are far removed from our world and our personal experience.

Secondly, we can make use of the wide range of Bible reading aids available. Study Bibles, commentaries, daily notes and other resources all teach us about the Bible and help us apply it to our lives. As we continue to read the Bible, whether alone or in the company of others, so the Spirit works within us to instruct our hearts, inform our minds and strengthen our faith. And as we become more and more familiar with God’s written Word, almost imperceptibly we find the presence of the living Word transforming our walk of discipleship.

There are many Bible reading resources. For just some, visit: www.biblereadingnotes.org.uk

F rom time to time we may come across people who say to us ‘I wish I had your faith’. We may know deep down, however, that our own faith is rather shaky, not to say downright weak. So the challenge is: how can we build up our own faith to be a solid basis for how we live our lives?

We can grow as Christian disciples in a number of ways – prayer, attending church, and especially fellowship with other believers. But what about reading the Bible? Bible reading can become one of those things we know is good for us, but we can’t quite get round to. We may feel we don’t have enough time; we don’t know where to begin; and when we do actually pick up a Bible, we can’t make head or tail of it!

If we think of it another way, though, Bible reading is not a chore like weeding the garden, but essential for spiritual health and well-being, rather like a well-balanced meal. If we’re really busy, it may seem too much bother to stop for a decent meal. Or we may be tempted to grab something on the run, which ends up giving us indigestion. Like reading the Bible,

Is your faith a bit shaky? Here’s how to grow it...

JULY/AUGUST 2009 PAGE 6

Sunday 30thSunday 30thSunday 30thSunday 30th 10.30am Morning Worship. Joan Donkin

SeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember Sunday 6thSunday 6thSunday 6thSunday 6th 10.30am Family Service

Regular Meetings

"Children's Club" Mondays Trailblazers 5-6pm Tuesday mornings 9.30-10.30am First Steps for babies and pre-school children with their parents and carers, during term time

Wednesday 7.30-9pm – ‘Drop-in’ Centre for teenagers Mondays and Thursdays 9.30Mondays and Thursdays 9.30Mondays and Thursdays 9.30Mondays and Thursdays 9.30----11.30am 11.30am 11.30am 11.30am Coffee mornings. Coffee mornings. Coffee mornings. Coffee mornings. The Church is open for anyone to drop in for a drink and a chat

PAGE 6

July July July July Sunday 5th Sunday 5th Sunday 5th Sunday 5th 10.30am Family Worship, Rev Stuart Jennings Sunday 12thSunday 12thSunday 12thSunday 12th 10.30am Holy Communion- Ruth Walker Sunday 19thSunday 19thSunday 19thSunday 19th 10.30am Morning Worship -Ruth Walker 6.00pm Holy Communion - Rev David Hunter Sunday 26thSunday 26thSunday 26thSunday 26th 10.30am Morning Worship - Alan Bennell

AugustAugustAugustAugust Sunday 2ndSunday 2ndSunday 2ndSunday 2nd 10.30am Family Service. Ruth Walker Sunday 9thSunday 9thSunday 9thSunday 9th 10.30am Holy Communion. Ruth Walker Sunday 16thSunday 16thSunday 16thSunday 16th 10.30am Morning Worship. John Parnham 6pm Evening Worship. Leslie Armstrong Sunday 23rdSunday 23rdSunday 23rdSunday 23rd 10.30am Holy Communion. David Hunter

KERESLEY VILLAGE COMMUNITY CHURCH SERVICES

Rev Paul Hardingham, Rector of Bolton

spouse or friend, we will usually make plans that include things that we enjoy doing together. For example, we may choose to go out for a meal, go to the cinema, take a walk or just spend time talking together. The choice of activity will usually depend on the state of our relationship and our needs at the time.

The same principle can be applied in our relationship with God! We need to plan carefully how we use our time with him. It might include giving time for silent listening, meditating on Scripture, prayer, keeping a journal, taking a meditative walk, or listening to a worship CD. Of course, we have to be flexible in our approach so as to respond to God’s leading in the moment. However, a plan can help us stay focussed, so that we don’t get sidetracked or distracted in the time.

I f we are to hear God effectively, we must be prepared to spend time alone with him. ‘Solitude is a time when we withdraw from the company of others in order to give God our undivided attention’ (John Ortberg). This practice was certainly a priority in Jesus’ life and ministry:

‘Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed’ (Mark 1:35).

Solitude is not so much about what we do as what we don’t do! If we are listening to God, we have to consciously shut out the external noise in our lives and focus on the quiet on the inside. However, if we are honest, spending time alone with God can be a real struggle. We want to do it, but other things can easily get in the way:

� Distractions

� Tiredness

� Jobs to do

� Wandering thoughts etc

In reality these, our times with God, can feel like a duty rather than something to enjoy. So God becomes a person we’re supposed to see, like the dentist, rather than somebody we want to see, like our best friend.

How do we approach the discipline of solitude? Solitude is an opportunity rather than simply an obligation. It’s an opportunity to enjoy God as somebody who we really want to spend time with. So how can we make our times of solitude a place to enjoy God’s presence? When we spend time with a

Your Life, Your Choice: Solitude

Number funNumber funNumber funNumber fun

Here is one of those totally useless bits of information that is interesting nonetheless: at five minutes and six seconds after 4am on the 7th August this year, the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09. This will not happen again for 100 years.

Same for next year’s 05:06:07 08/09/10. So – now you know!

OUR COMMUNITY PAGE 7 OUR COMMUNITY PAGE 7

Regular Activities in the Church

Hall NB the Church Hall is not usually

available for late night Discos

Pre-school Playgroup: Mondays to Fridays, 9am - 11.30am and 12.30pm – 3pm

Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts meet on weekday evenings. See page 2 for details.

A prophet for our time Isaiah 40: 12-31 ‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ (25). This section of Isaiah emphasises God’s power and majesty and how truly awesome he is. Yet for people in exile, looking at their own circumstances, they could easily have felt overlooked by him. In the final section of this chapter God answers them and shows us that whatever our circumstances, God is on our side!

The Everlasting God (28) God answers their questions with his own: ‘why do you say my way and cause are hidden from God’ (27). He is the everlasting One and Creator who doesn’t faint or sleep and whose understanding is unsearchable. This should silence any questions, for he is always doing more than we see. In view of his power and activity we cannot be disregarded.

On what basis do you believe that God cares for you?

Hope to the Lord (29-31) God promises that those who wait on him will renew their strength. Such waiting involves living with a confident expectation of God ultimately acting on our behalf. It is promise that helps us through the different seasons of our life with him.

Soaring on wings like eagles: there are times when we feel lifted by the Spirit’s power and we are very aware of God’s presence in our lives, as he answers prayer or uses us in surprising ways.

Running and not growing weary: at times we see God at work, but it’s not without the effort of faithful obeying, serving, giving and praying.

Walking and not being faint: during times of doubt, failure or tiredness we hang-in with God. It may be hard to see the fruit, but we keep walking faithfully with him!

What season of waiting you are currently experiencing? Reflect on how you might respond

PARISH REGISTER

BAPTISM

28th June - Jack-Dean Carl Emery

THANKSGIVINGS

21st June - Jacob Samuel Woodrow

WEDDINGS

13th June - Jamie Freemantle and Karen Lovell

27th June - Earl Faulkner and Rebecca Smith

CREMATIONS

1st June Martin Dawson of 30 Empire Road, Tile Hill, aged 51

15th June Peace Dorrien Nash of Benson Road ,aged 90

BURIALS

5th June Gwendoline Violet Cannon of Eversleigh Road, aged 80

9th June Samuel Owens of Kirby Muxloe, aged 83

19th June Raymond Sydney James Coleman of Humber Road, aged 82

23rd June Bernice Irene Green of Scholfield Road, aged 84

ASHES BURIAL

23rd June Betty Owens of Brownshill Green Road, aged 79

Paul Hardingham

Solution to crossword on page 8