Newsletter

Spring is in full swing, and in May we celebrate May Day, schools break up for half term and we can tuck into a tasty treat for World Biscuit Day! Here are some of the key dates and events happening this May in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as around the world:

12th May 2024 Held on the birthday of Florence Nightingale to mark the contributions that nurses make to society. It is a day to recognise the important role of nurses around the world.

12th May 2024 National Children’s Day UK is all about the importance of a healthy childhood and protecting the rights and freedoms of children so that they can grow into happy, healthy adults.

20th May 2024 The purpose of World Bee Day is to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development.

29th May 2024 A celebration of this tasty treat, whether you regard your biscuit as a sweet snack to go with a cup of tea, or a savoury addition to a meal.

Hands up those who knew these days existed. They have been an eye opener for us!

Linda and Malcolm Johnson

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CELEBRATING PENTECOST

Dear Friends,

First of all, I need to thank you for your kindness and support during my sudden illness in early April. I had had a slight cough for a few days but had no idea that I had pneumonia. At the same time, I had a slightly red left leg but had no idea that I had cellulitis. I thank God for the speedy response of the NHS and my six days in hospital gave me a very clear and impressive insight into the care that we are privileged to receive. The staff were under continual pressure but were unfailingly professional, good humoured and kind. I am now feeling very much better although my leg will take some weeks to recover fully.

On May 19th the church worldwide will be celebrating Pentecost and I am sorry that I won’t be with you. The reason for that is that I will be preaching at the church where I was minister from 1983-1991. They will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary that day and they were keen that I should be with them. The church is Southgate Church in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and is a local ecumenical partnership between the Baptist Union, the Church of England and the United Reformed Church. It is located on a 1970s housing estate and in those enlightened days the local authority built a Community Centre with a small Church Centre attached. The church soon outgrew its little centre and so we would hold our Sunday morning services in the Community Centre. It was a wonderful way to begin ministry and I am delighted that, in Central Church, I find myself in another ecumenical church.

Southgate Church began its life at Pentecost but so, of course, did the whole church. Before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost there could be no church. Only when the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ followers were they empowered and transformed to be the church. That’s why Pentecost continues to be such an important day in the church calendar.

As we celebrate Pentecost this year let me encourage you. The Holy Spirit gives us power. By ourselves we are naturally weak. If you look at the start of the Acts of the Apostles you will see a group of 120 of Jesus’ followers who were waiting for something to happen. They spent their time in prayer as they waited for the promised gift of the Spirit but they were powerless to do anything. When the Day of Pentecost came everything was transformed and they were empowered to move into their society and neighbouring countries to share the Good News of Jesus. There is no question that we need the Holy Spirit’s power today. We face enormous challenges and we dare not struggle on in our own strength.

The Holy Spirit also gives guidance. Over the coming weeks we are going to be looking at the Acts of the Apostles and we will see the amazing way in which the Holy Spirit directed the early church. They were tough days and the opposition was severe, but the Holy Spirit led them every step of the way. As we look to the future there are plenty of challenges for us to face and it is exciting and comforting to know that we are not alone. We must look to the Holy Spirit to guide us.

May we all know the joy and encouragement of being filled with the Holy Spirit as we serve God.

With warmest greetings.

Yours ever,

Revd Jonathan Edwards

Transitional Minister

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Sunday Services at 10.30 a.m.

• Sunday 5th May:  Revd Owen Green
• Sunday 12th May: Revd Jonathan Edwards (Holy Communion) followed
  by Church Meeting
• Sunday 19th May: Revd Andrew Bird
• Sunday 26th May: Revd Jonathan Edwards (Holy Communion)

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Dates for your diary, held at the Pilgrim Centre unless stated otherwise. (Please phone Jonathan on 07876 234264 if you need Jo’s address.)

• Thursday 2nd May: Bible Study,
• Tuesday 7th May:  Bible Study, 7.30 p.m. (at Jo’s house)
• Thursday 9th May: Executive Meeting at 6.30 p.m.
• Sunday 12th May: Church Meeting, 12 noon
• Monday 13th May: Community Cafe, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Thursday 16th May: Bible Study, 2.30 p.m.
• Monday 20th May: Community Cafe, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Tuesday 21st May: Bible Study, 7.30 p.m. (at Jo’s house)

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CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

This year Christian Aid week is 12th – 18th May. There will be envelopes for congregational giving and we plan to have a coffee morning on Friday 17^th May at the church. 

Christian Aid  aims to end poverty and injustice worldwide by focusing on four key areas – see below. This involves working in partnership with local organisations, as well as with governments and the private sector.

Their work includes helping people to:

• claim their rights and access services such as healthcare and education
• ensure they are not discriminated against for any reason
• become more resilient to shocks and disasters such as drought, climate change and hurricanes
• make the most of opportunities, such as being able to sell their produce for a fair price.

Throughout their history, Christian Aid have intervened in some of the worst disasters our world has faced – the Ethiopian famine, the South Asian tsunami, the Ebola outbreak – as well as in forgotten or protracted crises such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

They commit almost a third of their total income to their humanitarian work, and every year Christian Aid reaches millions of disaster-affected people.

Jane Walsh

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Community Cafe

The cafe is open every Monday with the exception of Bank Holidays. We have quite a few regular customers each week, plus a number of people who drop in whilst passing. We need at least four volunteers each week but had to close one Monday in April because there were insufficient volunteers on that particular day. Could you spare one Monday a month to help us out? We need someone to chat to customers and/or clear tables. We would also be grateful to receive a cake occasionally. Our customers are always appreciative of a slice of homemade cake! Please speak to Chris or Marion if you are able to help.

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Marion is a member of this choir and can get tickets if anyone is interested.

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Thought for the day –“Faith and prayer are the vitamins of the soul, we cannot live in health without them.”

Deadline for June 2024 Newsletter: Wednesday 29th May 2024