- 1 Stanley Road
- Teddington
- TW11 8TP
020 8973 1880
Email Us
News and Notes
News & Notes This special edition of News and Notes has been combined with FOCUS, to provide an extended version of our weekly news sheet, due to there being no church services and most people being confined to home during the coronavirus pandemic. The next edition will be 12th July. Items should reach Sarah by 9am on 8th July. If you would like to receive News & Notes by e-mail, please let Sarah know.
Request for Content for News and Notes/FOCUS please send us articles, prayers, Bible studies, poems, stories, puzzles, ideas for craft, jokes and more, to be included! Please note the early deadline and, as ever, I am very grateful for your help! Sarah.
WhatsApp Group If you have a smart phone and would like to join our WhatsApp group please get in touch.
Weekly Zoom Meetings We usually meet on Saturdays at 11am and Sundays at 11.30am for friendly chat! Those of us who usually feel very self-conscious being on camera have surprised ourselves at how enjoyable and supporting these meeting are and we extend an invitation to join us. Please contact Sarah for the log in details.
Prayer requests If you have someone you would like prayers for, and would like the details to appear in News and Notes, please contact Sarah (details above).
Churches Together in Teddington: Please pray for St Michael’s Church
Circuit Prayers: Please pray for Sunbury Methodist Church and “Friendly Club”. Please also pray for Monaco – attracts the rich and famous for its self-indulgent lifestyle. Very difficult for people to find interest in spiritual things when surrounded by such great wealth.Pray for committed believers to make an impact on society.
Knitted and Crocheted Flowers We are hoping to decorate the church with knitted and crocheted flowers when we finally return to worship together. We are looking for some patterns we can share (if you have any please send them to us). In the meantime, if you would like to join in and have access to a pattern please start knitting/crocheting. Any colour, size and type of flower, the more variety the better! Some people have also started knitting and crocheting Christmas Angels.
RememberMe: St Paul’s on-line book of remembrance for all those who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. https://www.rememberme2020.uk/
Circuit Book Club: Book Club: The Book Club met via Zoom and a small group of us had the chance to discuss our chosen book "Small Island" by Andrea Levy. This made us think about the parallels of what is happening in our society with the scandal or “Windrush” and more recently “Black Lives Matter”. If you haven’t read it, then do as it is extremely well written. (I can lend you my copy – Sarah). We have chosen our next book, “Three Hours” by Rosamund Lupton. A completely different style of book – set in rural Somerset in the middle of a blizzard, the unthinkable happens: a school is under siege. The next meeting is 30th October – all are welcome to join in. Details of how will be announced nearer the time.
Baby Basics: If you wish to donate to Baby Basics via their Amazon wish list visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2LNH9OR070ZS5#
The funeral service for Hilda Oliver will be on Thursday 9th July at 12 noon. As you will realise, numbers are limited but you will be able to watch this through a live stream. There will be more details next week on how to do this. There will also be an opportunity to donate in lieu of flowers to one of two charities, Action for Children and the National Autistic Society. Please see Lodge Brothers website https://www.lodgebros.co.uk/funeral-directors/hampton-hill/ for details. Thank you for all your kind messages and prayers.
The funeral service for Margaret Birrell is on Friday 3rd July at 10.40am. Here is the link to the service booklet - https://simplebooklet.com/ladymargaretbirrell For those without access to the internet a copy of the booklet is included with News and Notes.
Practical information during social distancing/self-isolation:
Link to online list of Teddington traders delivering at the moment - https://docs.google.com/file/d/1uryig4AbtcHcKSuoWDvPyLYXFwygsASu/edit?filetype=msword
Requests for help if self-isolating
Please call the Richmond council’s helpline on 020 8871 6555
Loneliness for older people may become widespread. Two charities that offer helplines are Sane and the Silver Line:
• SANEline is staffed by trained volunteers and professionals and is open between 4.30pm and 10.30pm every day of the year on 0300 304 7000.
• Silver Line offers a weekly life line of a telephone conversation to people over 55. Find out more by calling 0800 470 80 90
Useful links for internet users:
Methodist Church Service sheets:
Wesley's Chapel & Leysian Mission 11am Sunday Services
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA?
Recorded Services from Methodist Central Hall
https://www.youtube.com/user/MCHWevents?
Women in the Bible Quiz answers
1. What does "Eve" mean? (Genesis 3:20)
§ "mother of all living"
2. Who married Abraham? (Genesis 17:15)
§ Sarah
3. Looking for a wife for Isaac, Abraham's servant found:(Genesis 24:67)
§ Rebekah
4. Jacob agreed to work 7 years for the hand of:(Genesis 29:28)
§ Rachel
5. This woman promised the Lord that if He would bless her with a son, she would dedicate the boy to Him. She later bore Samuel. (1 Samuel 1:20)
§ Hannah
6. David's original wife was:(1 Samuel 18:26)
§ Michal
7. This woman remained with her mother-in-law, Naomi, after Naomi's husband and sons died. (Ruth 1:16)
§ Ruth
8. This woman rumoured that Joseph tried to commit adultery with her. (Genesis 39:14)
§ Potiphar's wife
9. This harlot housed spies sent by Joshua to take the city of Jericho. (Joshua 2:1)
§ Rahab
10. This woman married Moses. (Exodus 2:21)
§ Zipporah
11. After David looked upon her lustfully, he had an affair with this woman that ultimately led to the death of her original husband. (2 Samuel 11:2)
§ Bathsheba
12. This woman tempted Samson to reveal the secret to his massive strength, which she used to betray him to the Philistines. (Judges 16:6)
§ Delilah
13. This brave Israelite woman became queen of Persia and used her influence to protect her people, the Jews. (Esther 7:3)
§ Esther
14. This woman was given to Jacob as a wife deceitfully before he could marry her younger sister, who he loved. (Genesis 29:25)
§ Leah
15. The prophet Hosea was commanded to marry this woman, though she was a harlot. (Hosea 1:3)
§ Gomer
16. This Egyptian woman was Sarah's handmaiden, and bore Ishmael through Abraham. (Genesis 16:15)
§ Hagar
17. This wicked queen wanted to kill the prophet Elijah. (1 Kings 19:2)
§ Jezebel
18. This woman gave birth to Moses. (Exodus 6:20)
§ Jochebed
19. This woman was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back as Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed. (Genesis 19:6)
§ Lot's wife
20. This woman was Ruth's sister-in-law. (Ruth 1:4) Orpah
Connexion
The latest issue of the connexion magazine is out now, expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and illustrating how local churches have prevailed during the COVID-19 lockdown to sing a new song.
This can be viewed as a PDF at https://www.methodist.org.uk/media/17808/the-connexion-magazine-issue-19.pdf , you can sign up to receive free copies of the magazine at https://dotmailer-surveys.com/09bvi0c-0f16xc8a or please contact Gill Jackson who will have a couple of spare copies.
CAP are publishing a book of poems, and are looking for contributions! The book will tell stories surrounding UK poverty during lockdown, and we are looking for contributions from those with who have lived/are living in poverty (experts by experience) AND those working to combat UK poverty, on a local or national level. The book will be used as a campaigning tool by Church Action on Poverty. Submit here by 7th July: https://www.church-poverty.org.uk/submit/?fbclid=IwAR1MMbzSWzInFO-VXcdUjcTb_IEuL0wWZkxmcOMebxX9BQJaCeoiC7lCARE
Government Guidance COVID-19: Guidance for the safe use of places of worship from 4 July can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-from-4-july/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-from-4-july
New President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference elected for 2021/22
The Methodist Conference has elected the Revd Sonia Hicks to
serve as President and Barbara Easton to serve as Vice-President, starting
their year of office when the Representative Session of the Methodist
Conference opens in Birmingham in June 2021.
Sonia Hicks, who has served as a Circuit Superintendent in three connexions:
Britain, the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and Americas and the Methodist
Church in Ireland (MCI), said:“As a Black person born in the UK, it is a great
privilege to serve the church family I love in this new way. I will do all I
can to honour this choice of the Methodist Conference and enable British
Methodism to celebrate our God-given diversity.”
Sonia’s commitment to oppose all forms of injustice began as a member of the Youth Exchange to Zimbabwe. She has since been Convenor of the World Relief and Development Committee for MCI, and has served as a Trustee for both All We Can and Christian Aid Ireland.
Sonia Hicks has also served on the South East District Synod Planning Group, on the Methodist Diaconal Order Leadership Group and on the Ministerial Candidates and Probationers Oversight Committee.
Barbara Easton’s
vocation has been the world of education. Before becoming Connexional Director
of Education in 2014 she was an RE teacher, inclusion and interfaith specialist
and secondary headteacher in the West Midlands. She now leads the Methodist
Academies and Schools Trust, committed to shaping our schools as diverse
communities of empowerment and transformation in their work at the margins of
the church.
On hearing of her election Barbara said: “I am delighted and deeply honoured to have been called to serve the Methodist people as Vice-President of the Conference. Thank you to all those who have walked with me on the journey – I am grateful for your prayers. I am aware that I will take on the vice-presidency at a time which is both challenging and exciting for our church, and I promise to work faithfully and thoughtfully as we move into this new future.”
Barbara is a local preacher and has regularly volunteered at 3Generate and Greenbelt. Through international Methodist education and her upcoming role for global Methodist Women, she seeks for Methodism to have an impact greater than the sum of its parts.
The role of President of the Methodist Conference is reserved for presbyters and that of Vice-President for lay people or deacons.
