April 2013 Issue Deadline - March 17th

Publication Date - April 7th

In this edition

Page two Directory

Page three

Clergybit

Annual General Meetings

Christian Aid

Page four More memories of an amazing trip

Burns Night

Electoral Roll Revision

Page five

Book Review

Are you lonely?

Hot Cross Buns & Hot Chocolate

What is your Faith Story?

Page six In the News

Greetings from Huntly

Page seven From the Registers

Charity Fun Day

Page eight Lent, Holy Week & Easter

Brain activity

March 2013 THE MAGAZINE OF THE HORWICH & RIVINGTON TEAM CHURCHES Price 50p

Members of the Open Door

celebrated their 20th anniversary

in January 2013 with a cheese

and wine evening in the upper

school, Church Street.

Open Door was created in 1993

and was an amalgamation of two

ladies groups, Mothers Union

and Thursday Club. Both groups

met on alternate Thursday

evenings at 8 pm, both had

visiting speakers, but both

groups also had a declining

membership. The answer to the

problem was to join the two

which resulted in Open Door - as

its name suggests - open to

everyone, young, old, male or

female. The group still meets on

Thursdays at 8.00pm in the

Parish Hall or Upper School, we

still have very interesting visiting

speakers and social evenings all

for just £2 per meeting.

Why not pick up a programme in

Church or at a meeting. We need

new members and you would be

made very welcome. For more

information please ring Jean on

01942 831719.

Forthcoming meetings

February 21st

‘The forbidden Kingdom of Nepal’

March 7th

‘Urban Outreach’

March 21st

‘My life in Saudi Arabia’

April 4th

Social Evening

Holy Trinity Church, Horwich

20 YEARS of

OPEN DOOR

The Editorial Team

would like to wish

all our readers a

Happy & Blessed

Easter

SPRING IS

ON ITS WAY!

CLERGYBIT

by Alan Wolstencroft

3

Holy Week and Easter

presents one of the most

dramatic and powerful

expressions of sacrificial

love and redemptive

power. Terms that are

perhaps readily understandable, to

some extent, by those who have

been brought up, or come to some

basic understanding of the

Christian faith. But what of those

for whom this language and mind

set are somewhat alien?

A visit to the cinema or theatre to

see the now much acclaimed Les

Misérables might help unravel

some of the profound qualities of

love, hate, forgiveness, redemption

and grace, that we in the Christian

Churches will witness once again

from Palm Sunday to Easter Day.

The film has much to teach us

and enlighten us about Christian

virtues. The principal character

Jean Valjean a convict on parole is

pardoned by a Bishop from whom

he has stolen silver. This

unwarranted act of compassion

utterly transforms him from a

criminal filled with hate to a

sacrificial hero.

Valjean is contrasted

with the narrow,

judgemental, religious

outlook of Javert the

police inspector who

relentlessly pursues

Valjean and is devoid of grace

and forgiveness. He believes in a

vengeful Old Testament God who

will bring down plague and

pestilence on all those who

disobey the law.

The full range of human

qualities are shown in the

characters, from the disbelieving

humour of the swindling

innkeeper and his wife to the loss

of faith through life's brutalities

that destroys the heroine’s whole

idea of loving, something she

expresses in one of the hit songs

of the show ‘I Dreamed a Dream’.

The spiritual and theological

content of the film, it's music, it's

drama, it's prayers (Bring him

home & The Lord's Prayer), it's

insights into human nature and

behaviour, have resonances with

the drama of Passiontide. I

believe this gives us the

opportunity of helping to unpack

and explain something of the

generous grace of God, something

of the sacrificial nature of the death

of Jesus on a Cross of shame,

something of his forgiving

compassion as in agony he pleads

for the forgiveness of fallen

humanity, something of the cost of

loving, something of the hope that

comes through acceptance of this

redemptive love, something of

resurrection and new life that is to

be lived in the here and now.

The film gave me and I suspect

most people a lot to think about,

Holy Week and Easter presents us

with more than something to think

about; it presents life changing

events not only to think about but to

respond to.

Share in the events of

Passiontide, Holy Week and Easter

in Church this year, not just as

spectators or bystanders, but as

those caught up in the unfolding

drama of Gods greatest act of

grace and love.

The Power of Forgiveness, Grace and Love

Although there is still a month or

so to go before the start of

Christian Aid week on 12th May

plans are already in hand to try

and make this another bumper

year of giving across Horwich.

Church reps have put in their

request for resources, Lent leaflets

to make Lent Count (Count Your

Blessings) are being distributed by

churches, letters have gone out to

schools asking them

to participate in some

way and plans are

afoot for soup events.

And this is on top of

planning for coffee

IT’S ON IT’S WAY

- BITE BACK AT HUNGER mornings/evenings, a quiz, and

door to door, bucket and Bikers

at the Barn collections plus those

at stores in Middlebrook. So do

please be prepared to respond

positively to requests to take part

in any of these events. Last year

Horwich raised over £6,000.

Maybe this year with your help

we can do even better!

Mariama Said takes part in

a CA community project to

feed her own and other

poor families in Ethiopia.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

St. Catherine’s 14th April

St. Elizabeth’s 21st April

Holy Trinity 21st April

Rivington 28th April This is YOUR opportunity to

see all aspects of the life of

your church, to stand for

election yourself, to vote for,

support and encourage those who do stand, to see what has

been achieved over the past

year and to be part of future

planning.

4

I have attempted to avoid

repeating the account of our

pilgrimage so ably given by

Vivien Rink in last month’s edition

of Below the Pike but I hope she

will forgive me if I trespass a little.

Because, as for her, this event will

linger in my memory and I was

privileged and blessed to have

shared such an amazing and awe-

inspiring experience. The special

memories she has of our visit have

been implanted in your mind’s eye,

and for me some also vividly stand

out. To be able to put into practice

a new understanding of the Bible

which had been formed from afar;

seeing places which had previously

been visions in my mind, hearing

the praying of Jews at the Wailing

Wall while being able to touch it;

listening to the sound of the waves

of the sea of Galilee being washed

up on the shore outside our

bedroom; smelling the baking

bread, which was piled high on the

stalls in the Bazaars along with

fruit and vegetables, sweets, and

the various coffee aromas;

sharing the bread and wine at

The Shepherds Field overlooking

Bethlehem; the Ecce-Homo

convent in Jerusalem; Mensa

Christi, where Jesus appeared to

his disciples after His

resurrection close to the shore of

the Lake. Touching sites thought

to be the locations of the birth

and crucifixion of our Lord defied

explanation and surpassed any

other feeling imaginable.

Three months later and it all

seems like a dream, but WHAT a

dream. Then 2 weeks ago we re-

lived that dream when many of

the 43 pilgrims, most who had left

Manchester as strangers but now

seemed more like a family,

together had much pleasure in

watching a DVD of our Holy Land

Pilgrimage accompanied by a

diary written by our pilgrims

containing each day’s events and

highlights, both excellently

produced by Rev Graham Smith

(who together with Rev David

Griffiths led our pilgrimage).

Personally looking back on this

extraordinary event in my life, I feel

my faith has been raised to a new

level, as I have been able to walk in

the same country, sail on the same

sea, see the same mountains as

our Lord did, bringing the

Scriptures into reality. Should the

opportunity arise for you to make a

similar pilgrimage, take it with open

arms and enjoy the experience of a

lifetime - even if you’ve reached 80

years of age as I have!

Allan Holden

WE WALKED WHERE JESUS WALKED

More Memories of a wonderful Holy Land Pilgrimage

The Sea of Galilee where Jesus taught, healed and appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.

ELECTORAL ROLL

REVISION Every six years the electoral

roll in every church is scrapped

and started again.

EVERYONE needs to re-apply

or you will not be on the new

roll. If you consider yourself a

member of one of our churches

and eligible you need to

complete a form and return to

the specified box in your

church. Your membership

entitles you to attend, stand

for election and vote at the

Annual General Meeting

BURNS NIGHT CELEBRATIONS Addressing the Haggis, bagpipes and whisky...

...at Holy Trinity

and at St Elizabeth’s...

CELEBRATIONS & CONGRATULATIONS Anything to celebrate? Let the editor know and see it printed here!

Email jill.harley@talktalk.net or ring 01204 694611 before the deadline on the front page.

5

Bishop Wright is a world-

renowned biblical scholar and

theologian, who had resigned as

Bishop of Durham to become

Professor of Theology at St.

Andrew’s University.

The book, whose title is given

above, is a major work on the

whole story of the Bible. Perhaps

the best way to introduce it is to

refer to the Creeds we recite every

Sunday. Have we noticed that in

outlining the cardinal matters of our

Christian faith they jump from

Bethlehem to Calvary, that is,

having pointed to the birth of Jesus

by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin

Mary, they go straight to the

Crucifixion?

When we realise that the Creeds

were drawn up to counteract

heretical ideas on the faith that is

understandable. So, as Tom

Wright points out, there is no

reference to the primary concern of

the four Gospels. And that

concern is The Kingdom of God.

It is what Jesus was constantly

proclaiming, and by his works of

mercy, healing, caring and showing

what the Kingdom is like.

When God created humanity he

required men and women together

to be his agents in his Kingship

over Creation. To be “in the

image of God” (Genesis 1:26-28) is

to be his kings and his priests.

But humanity failed through sin.

God then chose a new people

through Abraham and his

descendants to take over the kingly

role. But they too failed. So he

promised a Messiah (an anointed

King) would come and achieve his

purpose where others had failed.

And that is what Jesus did, Christ

means Messiah. And the

Kingdom God planned was

established through the Cross and

Resurrection.

At the Cross

the Messiah

not only

provided

salvation for

sinners, but

defeated all the powers of evil.

Those powers were operating

through human empires built on

force and conquest. The

Messiah defeated them by self-

sacrificing love. And that

Kingdom has been growing ever

since, and will do so until it is

consummated in the Return of

the Messiah.

All this Tom Wright expounds in

full and inspiring measure in his

book.

HOW GOD BECAME KING by (Bishop) Tom Wright

A book review by Colin Craston

Horwich Resource Centre is a

thriving Centre for the whole

community right in the heart of

Horwich.

It is a base for many local

voluntary, community and

supporting groups including

Horwich Heritage Exhibition

Centre, which is free of charge, to

all its local and worldwide visitors.

The range of activities on offer is

immense, with something to suit

everyone young, young at heart

and all the in-betweeners.

Maybe it’s worth stopping by, as

new members are always made

very welcome and you never know

but there could be that something

extra you are looking for? Our

many groups are diverse and

varied and we are an extremely

busy Centre.

We also welcome new groups, so

maybe you may have something to

offer us and the local community.

Call in and have a chat with Janet

(Manager) ring 01204 668157 or

email:horwich.hrc@onebillnet.co.uk Beaumont Road, Horwich BL6 7BG

ARE YOU LONELY? BORED?

AT A LOOSE END?

Groups include: Children & Young People’s interests - arts & crafts, Cadets, Mums & Toddlers, Performing Arts and more. Adults can enjoy arts & crafts too, martial arts, luncheon clubs, embroidery, line dancing, writing & upholstery to name but a few. There is a Widows club, a Stroke club & a New Heart club. Check the web site for days & times.

www.allcommunity.co.uk/horwichresource/

FREE! Hot Chocolate &

Hot Cross Buns St Elizabeth's Vicarage

March 18th 7:30pm

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

(there always is one

isn’t there?!)

You need to be willing to

think about helping with a

Holiday Club!

FAITH STORIES

What's yours? We are starting a series to

coincide with the theme of

our Lent services.

Please think about this - it's

very encouraging for others

to hear about how God has

been at work in our lives.

Starting next month, we

have our first story! But be

prepared - you may be

asked next!

6

My wife and I returned to this

area after an absence of 15 years.

We had moved to Lancashire

because the location was more

convenient to enable me to join the

cruise ships on which I have been

lecturing for several years – the

journey from Chorley to

Southampton is 242 miles as

opposed to 648 miles from

Aberdeenshire! In addition I was

beginning to consider that maybe I

should slow down a bit because a

work schedule of between 8 - 15

lectures per trip can be quite

arduous in one’s late 70’s!!

It was not without some sadness

that we left Rivington and we shall

certainly miss the wonderful

friendship and church participation

which we experienced there.

Replacing that is not going to be

easy since the little church here

has lost the bulk of its congregation

and is struggling to survive, but we

are determined to do what we can

to help.

Our new home is situated 350

feet above sea level and the view

from our lounge looks out on to

Gartly Moor which, like most of

the surrounding countryside has

been cloaked in snow of varying

depths. We clearly had a visit

from several deer last night and

from the footprints on our front

lawn they were both young and

old. The view is vastly different

from that of our Adlington home

which was considerably restricted

although the garden did attract

some 50 odd species of birds,

small mammals and butterflies.

Our first morning here we were

awakened by the noise of pink

foot geese looking for suitable

foraging ground in the

surrounding stubble. Armed with

my binoculars I scanned the

landscape and the sky above, at

hundreds of geese squabbling for

position on the adjoining field.

Skeins numbering in excess of

200 birds each, noisily circled the

area and I estimated numbers to

be well over 2000 geese. As I

observed this wonderful scene I

was reminded of a question I was

once asked whilst leading a

birdwatch on a cruise to Iceland -

“How do you know those geese

which are flying so high, are pink

foot geese and not greylags?” My

reply clearly impressed the small

assembled group especially when I

said they too could use the same

criterion if ever asked the same

question, because it is impossible

to differentiate between the two

when they are flying at over 2000

feet. The secret, I explained, is to

determine whether the pitch of their

sound (they never stop calling

when flying in formation) was a

tenor or bass sound? Yes, the

honking of the pink foot goose is of

a higher pitch whilst the greylag is

much lower, more of a bass.

Ideally one has to hear them both

but soon one will easily recognise

the difference and the kudos is

yours all by courtesy of an old

friend who was a retired church

organist! Cliff Jones

GREETINGS FROM HUNTLY IN ABERDEENSHIRE

With all the stories making

headline news recently, such as

the Pope’s resignation, the horse

meat scandal, the near miss of the

asteroid big enough to flatten

Manchester, it might be easy to

miss that a very significant

development, said Bishop Tom

Butler recently, which slips in

below the radar of the headlines,

that of the explosion of food banks

around the country. Together they

make a serious story and it’s

happening in Horwich.

Every day for a variety of

reasons, such as redundancy,

illness, debts, benefit delays,

homelessness, domestic abuse,

redundancy, family breakdown,

increasing numbers of people up

and down the country are faced

with having no money to feed

hungry mouths. At Middlebrook in

December the Wanderers star

Stuart Holden launched ‘Holden’s

Gifts of Hope’ by taking time out

to donate food and clothing to

Bolton’s most vulnerable through

Urban Outreach’s Store House

food bank.

A clear strand in the

gospel story is Jesus’s concern

for the hungry. For example

when faced with a hungry crowd

of five thousand on the edge of

the wilderness, he produced the

resources to feed them. It was a

miracle. It is a miracle in our

community that so many, to help

those in need, are taking extra

food from their shopping to

church to put in their Grub Tub.

In January, Dave Bagley

spoke at a meeting of Churches

Together in Horwich and Rivington

about the Storehouse food bank.

He said: “The situation we face at

the moment is that people are

being affected by poverty on a

much broader scale than we ever

imagined and this is an opportunity

for us to give people something

very basic, like food, without saying

‘it is charity’.”

That was picked up by the

churches which now all have Grub

Tubs and are donating food to the

Store House project which

distributes food through vouchers

issued by Housing, Job Centres,

Social Services, Citizen’s Advice

Bureau, churches, Children’s

Centres, Health Visitors and

various charities like Winter Watch

and BRASS helping asylum

seekers. Horwich Rotary is giving

£1000 to Urban Outreach to help

with the running costs of

Storehouse. So far 2348 parcels

have been given out in Bolton and

that number is expected to rise

substantially as the benefit cuts in

April start to bite.

IN THE NEWS Storehouse Grub Tubs in our churches

BAPTISMS & THANKSGIVINGS We welcome to the family of the Church:

WEDDINGS We wish joy and happiness to: 9th Feb Thomas Jones & Amy Doherty

9th Feb Matthew Hartley & Carrie Price

FUNERALS We offer love and sympathy to the relatives and friends of: 18th Jan Ronald Evans, Blackrod House Care Home, Blackrod

24th Jan Alma Beck, Whitton Mews, Horwich

24th Jan Jenny Beatty, Flockton Court, Horwich

28th Jan Joseph Knee, Flockton Court, Horwich 30th Jan Derek Radford, Castlecroft Ave, Blackrod

1st Feb Pauline Newell, Cotswold Drive, Horwich

6th Feb Roy Jackson, Bankfield Street, Bolton

6th Feb Jacqueline Anne Morris, Broadway Horwich 7th Feb Audrey Makin, Lower Hill Drive, Heath Charnock

7th Feb Harold Taylor, Fernstone Close, Horwich

15th Feb Joyce Dandy, Medway Close, Horwich

15th Feb Doris Nicholls, Alexandra Road, Lostock 18th Feb Patricia Liptrott, George Street, Horwich

18th Feb Steven Urmston, Everbrom Road, Bolton

21st Feb Eva Bramwell, Leicester Avenue, Horwich

26th Feb Audrey Seel, St. Catherine’s Care Home, Horwich

From the Registers

10th Feb Harry David Campfield

17th Feb Corey Mason

17th Feb Katie Lucy Sale

27th Jan Sebastian Yardley

27th Jan Isabella Rose King

10th Feb Layla Butler

All proceeds on the day are

going towards the UNICEF

Shoebiz Appeal, which

protects the rights of children

and raises money for

educational projects worldwide.

Amy Coward (the organiser) is the Team Leader at

Clarks Shoes, Middlebrook and supports our Shoebox

Appeal by providing numerous empty boxes for us!

Do please support her event.

Spring forward

into Summer!

Move your

clocks forward

1 hour at 02.00

on Sunday 31st

March.

Don’t be

late for

Church!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO

CONTACT YOUR MP?

JULIE HILLING

MP for BOLTON WEST

If you require help or advice,

you can contact Julie

via her constituency office on

01942 813468 or

Julie.hilling.mp@parliament.uk

Website: juliehilling.org.uk

With thanks to Easiprint, Crown Lane, Horwich for printing this magazine.

A painter and decorator was

contracted to paint the exterior of his

local Parish Church. In order to

maximise his profit he drastically

watered down the paint!

When his task was completed, he

stood back to admire his ‘handy work’

and smiled as he thought of the profit

he had made.

Later in the day, a storm blew up

and the rain fell in torrents causing a

total disaster as the thinned down

paint ran down the masonry walls.

Worried about being ‘found – out’’ he

drove back to church and saw that his

worst fears had materialised.

In desperation he fell down on his

knees, crying out, ‘O Lord, what have

I done? What can I do?’

A great voice from the Heavens was

heard to say, ‘ “Re-paint! Re-paint!”

and “Thin” no more’!

(With apologies to anyone

reading this who makes an

honest living in this business!

- ed.)

ALL WELC

OME

LENT CONTINUES…’This is Our Story: Journeys of Faith

STILL TO COME... CHURCHES TOGETHER MEETINGS: all at 7.30 pm followed by refreshments

Wednesday 6th March ‘Fed by the Bread of Heaven’

St. Catherine’s Church with Rev. Jennifer McKenzie

Thursday 14th March ‘Singing in the Wilderness’

Independent Methodist Church with Rev. Michael Behrend

Friday 22nd March ‘Saved from Death

St. Mary’s RC Church with Mr. Eric Kent

LENT STUDY GROUPS:

at 6.30 pm in Holy Trinity on

Sundays 3rd, 10th, 17th (with ‘The Cross of Christ’ - see below) & 24th March

at 10 am for a 10.30 am start in Holy Trinity on

Tuesdays 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th March

PASSION SUNDAY 17th March 6.30 pm

in Holy Trinity

THE CROSS OF CHRIST A devotion for congregation and choir.

Under the leadership of Joan Dixon, the choir of

Holy Trinity, together with others joining them,

have been busily rehearsing for this moving

service of congregational hymns, readings and

anthems. This traditional devotional evening

service is an excellent way of preparing for Palm

Sunday and Holy Week and then for the

celebration of Easter when we recall the triumph

of Christ over sin and death.

Make it a date, you won’t be disappointed!

HOLY WEEK & EASTER Monday 25th - Wednesday 27th March

Partnership Holy Week Meditations

19.30 - Communion in St. Katharine’s, Blackrod

Maundy Thursday: 19.30 - Holy Trinity

Team Communion

19.30 - St. Elizabeth’s Passover Meal

Good Friday: Family Communion 10am - St Elizabeth’s

Meditation

11.15 - St. Elizabeth’s

Reflections 10.00 - Rivington

10.30 - St. Catherine’s

14.00 - Holy Trinity

EASTER SUNDAY

SERVICES IN ALL OUR CHURCHES

Alleluia! He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!