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Bamford

Chapel

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BAMFORD CHAPEL

Mission/Vision Statement

MISSION

TO MAKE KNOWN THE GOOD NEWS OF THE LOVE OF GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

WORSHIP

We believe as a congregation that our worship should be wholehearted and

meaningful as we join together in praise and thanksgiving to God. In response to

God’s love, we wish to express our joy, to open our hearts to God’s voice and to

respond to His word.

LEARNING

Recognising our need to learn of God and from God, we seek to provide an

environment within which learning and teaching can take place. We would want to

enable each person to accept God into their life and to have the ability to discuss and

share their faith with all.

PASTORAL

We are joined together in our faith by the Holy Spirit. As a loving fellowship we wish to

deepen and extend our care for each other encouraging everyone to use their gifts, as

they are enabled by God, to show tenderness and compassion in a spirit of humility.

MISSION/SOCIETY

We accept that we are called to make Christ known in our community at Bamford and

in all other places. We would wish to influence others by example and comment,

accepting that God will speak through us as we maintain a relationship with Him. We

recognise the need for the Church to participate in all aspects of the life of the world,

and proclaim God’s will, as it is revealed to us.

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Sunday 1st December

10.30 am Family Worship with Holy communion led by Rev Richard Bradley

12 noon Vision Sharing meeting (4 of 5)

6.00 pm

Evening Worship To Advent and Beyond with The United Christian Singers

conducted by Walter Brisk and our

Minister Rev Richard Bradley (no charge)

Monday 2nd

December 8.00 pm Prayer Group

Thursday 5th

December 7.00 pm

Joint Finance Committee and Elders Meeting

Saturday 7th

December

from 9.30 am

Grounds Working Party - All Welcome

Sunday 8th

December

10.30 am

Family Worship led by Joanne Ackroyd with mandarin Speaking Students Followed by Pot Luck Lunch and Barn Dance to which all are welcome

6.00 pm Evenng Worship led by our Minister Rev Richard Bradley

Monday 9th December

8.00 pm Prayer Group

Tuesday 10th December

12 noon for 12.45 pm

Light lunches followed by concert given by students from the Royal College of Music

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Sunday 15th

December

10.30 am Family Worship led by our Minister Rev Richard Bradley

12 noon Vision sharing meeting (5 of 5)

6.00 pm

Nativity Pantomime “Who do you think you are kidding Mr Herod?” led by Food for Thought. Written by Ben and Addie Redmond. Tickets Adults £5, Children £2 All Welcome

Monday 16th

December 8.00 pm Prayer Group

Saturday

21st Dec 12 noon

Churches Together - Carol Singing at Cutgate Precinct, followed by refreshments at Cutgate Baptist Church

Sunday 22nd

December

10.30 am Nativity Service led by our Junior Church

4.00 pm Family Tea - please sign up

6.00 pm

Traditional Service of Carols and Readings led by Red Richard Bradley together with our Choir followed by seasonal refreshments All Welcome

Tuesday 24th December

7.30 pm Christmas Eve Family Party

11.30 pm Midnight Communion led by our Minister Revd Richard Bradley

Wednesday 25th December

10.00 am

Christmas Day Service when we celebrate the birth of Christ. Children (and Adults) are encouraged to bring a present with them to show. led by Walter Brisk

10.30 am Morning Worship where our sister church in Norden (Norden URC) join with us for worship

Sunday 29th December

Please note there will be no evening service

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Sunday 5th

January

10.30 am Family Worship with Holy Communion led by our Minister Rev Richard Bradley

6.00 pm Evening Worship led by Walter Brisk

Monday 6th

january 8.00 pm Prayer Group

Thursday 9th

January 7.30 pm Elders Meeting

Sunday 12th

January

10.30 am Family Worship led by Margaret Ogden

6.00 pm Evening Communion led by our Minister Rev Richard Bradley

Monday 13th

January 8.00 pm Prayer Group

Tuesday 14th

January

12 noon for

12.45 pm

Light Lunches followed by concert given by Chris Holmes Jazz Trio

Sunday 19th January

10.30 am Family Worship led by our Minister Rev Richard Bradley

6.30 pm Joint Service, Churches Together in North West Rochdale to be held at St George’s Oakenrod led by Revd Karen Smeeton

Saturday 25th January

tbc Ignite GEAR day

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Elders’ Group Date

Julie Platt

Laura Davies

Ian Hampson

Joan Warner

Sunday 1st December

Liz Hazlehurst

Gill James

Addie Redmond

Barbara Redmond

Sunday 15th December

Dates for Elders’ Group Meetings about The Vision

If you were unable to attend your Elder’s Meeting you are welcome

to join one of the remaining 2 detailed below.

Sunday 26th

January

10.30 am Family Worship led by David Watson

6.00 pm Evening Worship led by Ken Greer

Wed 29th

January 1.30 pm Mid Week Communion Service

Please check all dates and times on the Bamford Chapel website at

www.bamfordchapel.co.uk

as arrangements are subject to change.

Thank you

Saturday 25th January

9.30 am

CVS Rochdale are holding a session for Youth

& Group Leaders in our local Church commu-

nities. This is a 3 hour session, let Gillian

Galloway know if you would like to attend

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Message from the manse

I love Christmas!! I used to drive my Mum and Dad

mad when I was younger because I would start getting

excited about Christmas and start having sleepless

nights following my birthday. This drove my Mum and Dad mad because my birthday is at the end of August!

This is a true (and rather embarrassing) story! I would

literally struggle getting to sleep because of my

increased excitement levels.

As a Dad I have continued my love for Christmas seeing

the same excitement from my children – although I am glad they don’t start having sleepless nights in August!

Christmas is such a busy time of year with a huge

amount going on. We are often busy with preparing

gifts, writing cards, arranging family events and parties,

doing all that is expected and planned when it comes to

church as well.

But it is a truly amazing time of year; a time when we

celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ the

greatest gift ever given.

This year will be our 4th Christmas in the manse. It is amazing to think that just after Christmas we will reach

my 3rd Anniversary of my induction to Bamford and

Norden URCs.

We are also in this period of discerning the vision for

Bamford Chapel. Much work has been done. We have

had:-

*The year of seeking God’s Vision when we had themed

services.

*We have had the questionnaires that people were

invited to fill out.

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*We are currently in the middle of the vision sharing

meetings (2 have taken place and three are yet to take

place)

*I am hoping that a service will take place soon so that

those who haven’t been able to get to the meetings will

hear and be able to respond to what has been put forward.

There have been magazine articles and a discussion at

a Church Meeting on the proposed vision statement.

I feel the time is coming when a final decision is

needed. We are coming through a consulting period and I want to ask you to write in your diaries the date of the

January Church Meeting. That is the meeting when, and

where, I hope the vision statement will be adopted by

the church and we can then continue to work with, and

towards, that vision.

I feel it has been an exciting time. I have felt extremely

excited about the vision and the hope for the future of

Bamford Chapel. I want to encourage people to talk

about things and the ideas that will come from this

process. There were lots of suggestions in the

questionnaires that I hope will come to fruition and be implemented.

The basic proposal of the vision is that all that we do as

a church fits with the overall suggested vision of

“Loving God, Serving others, Building

Community.”

The Elders will discuss this at the January Elders’

meeting and I hope will make the recommendation to

adopt this as our new vision statement. This will then

come to the Church Meeting on the 19th January

2014. The meeting will take place on this day after the

morning service.

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News of the family

Concerns are expressed for Anne and Ian

Newman, Win and Don Schofield, Audrey Morris, Molly Brierley, Joyce

and Derek Yates, Dorothy and Bob Hartley, Geoff and Margaret Ogden,

Margaret Entwistle and Joyce Cooper. Please remember these friends

in your prayers, along with any others of whom you are aware or who I

have omitted to mention.

I have just returned home from the Brownies Coffee Evening, which is

the first of the Christmas events held at Bamford Chapel. The coffee

area and lounge were full of children, parents and grandparents along

with church members who were supporting the event. Thanks to

everyone concerned with the organisation and planning of this annual

fund raising effort.

With Christmas rapidly approaching we will all be kept busy with the

multitude of activities at church. The Christmas Fair, Toy Service,

Advent displays and coffee morning, Luncheon Club Christmas lunch,

Pantomime, Junior Church Nativity, Family Tea, Christmas Eve Party

and Communion and Christmas Day service. How blessed we are to be

part of such a vibrant and exciting church.

If anyone wants to speak to me about the vision before

then please just ask me, phone me, email me, speak to

me at church. I am passionate about it because I feel

strongly that it is from God.

I hope we all have blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year.

God Bless,

Your servant in Christ, Richard.

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Fair Trade in Rochdale

Since Rochdale became a Fair Trade Borough in March

2006, the “Fair for All” stall in Rochdale Market has been

offering a range of fairly-traded goods (foods, household

and crafts) to the people of Rochdale. The stall is

situated in the middle of the Indoor Market and is open

every Monday & Wednesday to Saturday from 9.00 am

to 5.00 pm. During the run-up to Christmas the stall

carries a larger range of gifts and cards. By buying fairly

traded goods for gifts at Christmas you will also be

spreading the message of Fair Trade.

The “Fair for All” organizers, Monica Fowler (659453),

Jan Hicks (648779) & Jenny Buckley (358686), are

looking for volunteers (or all ages) to help with running

the stall. Volunteering provides a special opportunity for

young people (16+) to do service towards targets set

under the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (and similar

schemes) or to gain experience

in retail work.

With 20 2-hours periods of

duty to fill each week – they

need your help! What better

way for us, as Christians, to

demonstrate our care and

concern for the poor of this

world!

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Workdays at Church

I have been conscious that the Monday Gang that

meet on a Monday morning to do jobs around the church have been reducing in number over the last

three years. As the Church buildings are so large

and take a huge amount of work to keep clean and

maintained I suggested at the Elders’ meeting that

we might try having a Saturday morning once a

month to tackle some of the bigger jobs (or smaller

ones!) that might need more people to complete.

This is NOT to suggest that we don’t think the

Monday Gang or the Cleaners are not doing a good

job – without them we would need to pay out quite

a bit of money to pay for those jobs to be done. The

Saturday morning idea is to supplement the work already being done.

With this in mind we are going to try it on

Saturday 7th December.

If you can spare anytime from 9.30 am then you

will be most welcome to come.

Thanks and God Bless, Richard.

Workdays at Bamford Chapel

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“To Advent and beyond……..”

An act of worship for the evening of Advent Sunday:

1st December 2013

The United Christian Singers invite you to join them in a

celebration of this special season: not yet quite

Christmas, though all around there will be visible signs

of the Nativity just a few weeks away. We want to take

you back across the centuries when the Hebrew people

were trying to discover what God was really like.

Preachers and prophets tried to add to the knowledge

and expectations of each new generation. Slowly the

idea developed that God might one day send a very

special Teacher; the Messiah.

We share in their history, looking as they did to when

and how this Messiah might come; we arrive in due

course at the events in Bethlehem; and we see the Holy

Family forced to flee from the terrible persecution of

Herod. Then Jesus disappears for many years, in due

time to become the Jesus that we know as the Son of

God. That is our “beyond” – and we live in it still!

This is not the programme we took to churches a couple

of years ago, though necessarily it has a similar theme.

It always gives me great pleasure to bring this choir to

Bamford, where more than

twenty years ago it had its

beginning. Do come and

share the evening with us

if you can.

Walter Brisk

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Advent Coffee

Morning

Saturday 14th December

10.00 am - 12.30 pm

Tickets £3 including refreshments

or pay on the door

Come along and see the floral displays ,

Christmas trees and tableaux

all based on Christmas Carols.

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Child Sexual Exploitation

The Council for Voluntary Services Rochdale has very

kindly offered to hold a session on the above subject

for anyone from our church community who would like

to learn more about protecting all our children from

exploitation.

We invite you to attend the session

at: Bamford Chapel,

Norden Road, Rochdale

on: Saturday 25th

January 2014

starting at 9.30am

Please contact: Gillian Galloway on

gillianburc@hotmail.com with your booking numbers

before the Saturday 11th January to allow for paperwork

and handouts to be organised.

This is a free 3 hour course on a very informative and

necessary topic.

Coffee, Tea and biscuit refreshment available.

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Magazine Editor Needed

I am writing to ask for your help! There are many roles

that need filling in the church and the Editor of the

magazine is one of those roles. I want to ask for prayerful consideration for someone to take the role of

Magazine as soon as possible.

The role consists of collating all the articles and putting

them into the format then it is sent to Martyn James

who prints it and John Lapworth who photocopies it. It is then given to a small group of people who fold and

staple it and place it in the pews. Without a new

editor the magazine will cease to be produced.

There will be the joint December and January edition

and then it will stop.

Please see Richard or Ian Sturrock if you wish to take this role on. If you want to know more about it then

please speak to Louise Aspinall.

Thanks and God Bless

Richard.

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BAMFORD CHAPEL

Midday concert

12.45 p.m. – 1.45 p.m. Lunch served from 12 noon

Admission to the concerts: £3

Lunch items individually priced

Tuesdays

December

10th 2013

Students from

The Royal

College of

Music

January

14th 2014

with the

Chris

Holmes

Jazz Trio

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BELARUS ABANDONED BABIES

Thank you to all who supported the recent Coffee Day, held at the Trinity Methodist in Heywood.

(either in person or by donations received)

The sum of £1234.90 was raised, which is money that will help to provide shoes and winter clothes for these children.

A big thank you once again for your support'

Love Carol Hartley.

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A Christmas Quiz

Are these statements true or false?

1. The town of Bethlehem is just over 20 miles from

Jerusalem.

2. The composer, Gustav Holst, who wrote the music for the

carol ‘In the Bleak Mid-Winter’, lived in Thaxted, Essex. 3. A pheasant is one of numerous birds mentioned in the

song: ‘The 12 days of Christmas’.

4. The first light bulbs used to decorate a Christmas tree were

switched on at London’s Great Exhibition in 1851.

5. After leaving Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph with the baby

Jesus went into Egypt. 6. The Christmas stamps produced by Royal Mail in 2009

depicted the Nativity on stained glass windows.

7. The second line of the carol ‘Once in Royal David’s city’ is:

‘Stood a smelly cattle-shed’.

8. ‘Vrolyk Kerstfeest’ means ‘Happy Christmas’ in the

Slovakian language. 9. ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ sung by Slade was top of the

UK singles chart in 1983.

10. Bethlehem in Israel stands 2,550 feet above sea level.

Answers to Christmas Quiz

1. False: It is only five!

2. True.

3. False.

4. False: Light bulbs were not commercially available until

after 1879.

5. True. 6. True.

7. False: Replace the word ‘smelly’ with ‘lowly.

8. False: It is Dutch.

9. False: It was 1973.

10. True.

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Advent Celebration

We are holding an event to celebrate

the beginning of Advent. It will be an

occasion when we invite members of

the church and community to come

and view displays of Christmas trees,

nativity scenes and floral

arrangements which will have been

produced by the many organisations

within our fellowship.

This is our third ‘Celebrating Advent’

the last one was in 2010, We hope you

will encourage your friends and

neighbours to ‘come and see’.

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Bamford Chapel Project 2013.

“The Big Banana Apeel” At the time of writing this article the project total is £658 and I know

that there is much fundraising going on as well as personal giving. The

Brownies have just hosted a very well attended coffee evening and

the Rainbows and Guides are collecting spare change. We were

pleased to welcome Jean and Peter Franey who are Gulu Link

Trustees to the coffee evening they were very impressed with the

Brownies commitment to the project. In addition we hope to arrange

a fundraising meal in January.

I am sure you will be aware from the project launch and previous

articles in the magazine that we are raising funds to help the people

of Gulu in Northern Uganda. These people have endured 20 years of

devastating warfare, but now they face an even bigger challenge as

one of the poorest regions in Africa are now experiencing the impact

of post war rebuilding of the economy and community.

Following the war, the population, largely widows and orphans and

returned child soldiers, are rebuilding their lives after enduring years

in IDPs (Internal Displaced People’s camps). They are returning home

to find their crops and animals gone and their communities

decimated with limited opportunities to alleviate their poverty.

We are working with the Lancashire Gulu Link to help build on

previous projects they have organised in partnership with the Gulu

people. The project involves growing and cultivating bananas and

then splitting the plants to give to others. The money we raise will

fund the plants and a local project manager so that local people are

supported, learn new skills and plants are passed on in an organised

way thus sustainable for future generations.

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Why bananas? I hope you find the following information

interesting:

Uganda grows more bananas than

any other country with the

exception of India; producing 9

million tons of bananas every year

In many regions of Uganda bananas are eaten at every meal

The average Ugandan eats between 750g and 1 kg of bananas

every day

Matooke bananas which are green are widely grown and

cooked by steaming, boiling then mashed and eaten with fish

or meat

Sweet bananas are often roasted over charcoal fires

Bananas give many areas of Uganda an evergreen look, due

to the green bananas and large green leaves

When ready to eat the whole banana plant is harvested at

once

The plants regrow and can be split and then replanted

Bananas and their leaves are not just used to provide

nourishment they are also used for arts and crafts, to wrap

and protect other foods, to make medicines, juice, wine and

Waragi Gin, wonder what that tastes like?

Please do not hesitate to ask if you want any more information

about the project or get involved. The following people are on the

Church in the World Group who organise the project.

Margaret Ogden, Lyn Jefferies, Barbara and Addie Redmond, Rebecca

Abbott, Carole Greaves.

Thank you Carole Greaves

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Prayer of Thanks at Christmas

Loving Father of Christmas, In this year when we

have welcomed the birth of a baby, born to be King

of this country for a generation, we thank you for

the everlasting gift of your precious son, Jesus,

King of all Kings, whose reign will last for ever and

ever.

Thank you that he became one of us; that he lived

and died and rose again so that we might be

offered the gift of eternal life. Please open our eyes

and ears and hearts this Christmas, by the power

of your Holy Spirit. May we see, hear and

experience the peace and joy, comfort and life,

which is your Christmas present to us, wrapped up

in the presence of Jesus. Emmanuel, God actually

with us, today!

Thank you, thank you

Lord. Amen.

By Daphne Kitching

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Tickets available after service

or from Addie Redmond

01706 354559 or 07906 599 966

Adults £5 Children £2

inc refreshments

Bamford Chapel, Norden Road, OL11 5PQ

Sunday 15th December 2013

at 6 pm

Who do you think

you are kidding

Mr Herod? by Ben & Addie Redmond

Food For Thought presents its Nativity Pantomime

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Fab Dance

Dance Classes at Norden United Reformed Church

Mondays Bokwa Fitness 7.30 to 8.30 pm

Thursdays Junior Disco 6.15 to 7.15 pm

Saturdays Tiny Boppers age 3 to 7 10.30 to 11.30 am

Fiona 07811829056 fabdance1@hotmail.co.uk

Line Dancing at Norden URC

Held in the church Monday weekly at 1pm.

Pay £3 at the door

includes tea, coffee and biscuits

Everyone welcome, no partner required. For a little gentle keep fit exercise and memory test!

Come to the craft group at

Norden URC

Group meets on Tuesday afternoons at 12.30 - 3.00 p.m.

Norden URC, Forsyth Street

£2.50 per session—bring your lunch,

tea/coffee and biscuits

Learn to knit and crochet

Make new acquaintances in our friendly group.

Phone Jean 07764 233 382 for further information

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BAMFORD CHAPEL MAGAZINE

EDITORS: Louise Aspinall 01706 719449

l.aspinall@yahoo.co.uk

Martyn James 01706 868885

martyn-james1@sky.com

SECRETARY: Joan Ashton 01706 360395

ray-joanashton@sky.com

DATES FOR THE NEXT MAGAZINE

(provided a new editor can be found)

February 2014

Articles to be handed in by: Sunday 19th January

Magazine to be completed by: Thursday 30th January

Magazine distributed: Sunday 2nd February

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BAMFORD CHAPEL

United Reformed Church Charity - Reg’d No 1128387

(FAIRTRADE CHURCH) Norden Road, ROCHDALE, Lancs. OL11 5PQ

The Manse,

Norden Road,

ROCHDALE,

Lancs

OL11 5PQ

Telephone: 01706 369622

www.bamfordchapel.co.uk

Minister : Rev Richard Bradley

Email: richardbradley@cantab.net

Church Secretary: Ian Sturrock

Telephone: 01706 653109

Email: i.sturrock@talktalk.net

Wedding Secretary: John Lapworth

Telephone: 01706 632460

Email: john@lapworth37.plus.com

Lettings Manager: Linda Kerford

Telephone: 01706 624256

Email: l.kerford@btinternet.com

Times of Services: Family Worship : 10.30 am : Holy Communion 1st Sunday in month

Evening Worship : 6.00 pm : Holy Communion 3rd Sunday in month