KESWICK METHODIST CHURCH

NEWSLETTER

Convention Service

July & August

2014

It’s hard to believe that this will be the last contribution I make to this magazine before we make our move to South West Cumbria. It’s inevitably a time for looking back, and for looking forward for all of us.

As in any relationship, there are always regrets - the things I wish I’d done better, had time to do at all. There are visits I’ve never found the opportunity to make, people I wish I’d got to know better, differences of opinion that will never be resolved, reconciliations that will never be made.

But tipping the scale much further the other way there are so many good things to take with us. There is the love, support and encouragement we have received from so many people which we will never forget. There is also the closeness forged in journeys we’ve shared through dark times, the courage and inspiration of those who have faced increasing frailty, sickness, death and bereavement with fortitude and deep faith, people visibly growing in their faith and discipleship. There are too the challenging questions and situations through which my own ministry and discipleship have, I hope, grown and matured.

Thank you for all of that – both the good and the bad are part of our learning what it means to be a Christian, to follow Christ. And now it’s time for us all to move on to the next stage of this often daunting but always exciting journey into the unknown that God has mapped out for us.

I hope you will have hearts and minds open to receive what God has planned for all of you, who are part of this church – and as part of a potential ‘Mission Community’ here in the Keswick area - as you get to know and to work alongside Sue as your new minister, together with Moses and his family as he takes up his new post.

Minister’s

Letter

Both have great gifts to offer – allow them to exercise them. I know that you have much to give them in return. Pray for them, cherish them and encourage them in their ministry. Share with them your visions for where God is taking you as a church and have the courage to walk with them into the future that God has in store.

And may we all pray continually that everything we say and do, the way we relate to one another and to the world around us, may be shaped by an increasingly close relationship with God, modelled on Jesus himself and achieved through our openness to the Holy Spirit.

I leave you with a Celtic blessing: ‘The Lord open your eyes to his coming, open your ears to his voice and open your hearts to his love’

Shalom, Jennet and Neil

This summer Jennet will leave us to become Superintendent Minister in the Barrow circuit. Jennet has done a tremendous amount for our church and in the local community and she will be greatly missed. Neil has also done a lot of work behind the scenes at our church.

The circuit will be saying goodbye to Jennet at a Circuit Service to be held at our church on Sunday 20

th July at 6.00pm. Jennet’s last service with us

will be the following Sunday morning, 27th July. Unfortunately this is a

Convention service so we won’t be able to do anything special in the service but after the service we will empty the church then move into the hall for a ‘bring and share’ lunch. This will be the opportunity for us to say goodbye to Jennet and Neil and to make a presentation to Jennet.

I do hope that as many as possible of our church family will be able to attend.

Rev Sue Edwards will be our Minister from September. Sue is already well known to us but we will officially welcome her as our Minister when she takes our service on 24

th August.

Roy Ellis (Senior Steward)

Farewell to Jennet and Neil

On the afternoon of Thursday 24th April, a contingent of about four cars set off for Dalemain, taking a picturesque route through Dacre.

The name Dalemain means ‘manor in the valley'. In 1679, Sir Edward Hasell bought Dalemain thanks to a legacy from his employer Lady Anne Clifford, who is very well known in this part of the world.

Our guided tour started in the hall of the main house. We learnt about the history of the building and the families who lived there. The Chinese Room was decorated with eighteenth-century hand- painted wallpaper, brought over to Liverpool on a tea clipper. Hidden in the design of birds and plants, were many tiny Chinese figures, which were there to provide amusement before the days of television!

The large dining table was made so that no one ever had to sit up against a leg. A very practical and welcome design! In the dining room we also spotted a stuffed albino hedgehog which was given to the present son of the house when he was a boy.

To the side of a small bedroom was a Priest hole, which had once been completely hidden, and could then only be accessed from the chimney below. It is to be hoped that the priest-in-hiding was not too portly! The bedroom also contained a single four-poster bed, which is a rare item, as four-posters are usually double.

Church Outing to Dalemain

The house-keeper’s parlour was very cosy. This was where the house-keeper, lady’s maid & butler, were served dessert by the other servants, having eaten their first course all together in the kitchen. Following the tour we enjoyed tea in the Mediaeval Hall Tearoom. There were many jars of marmalade in evidence, left from the recent world famous Marmalade Festival.

We then had some time to wander in the gardens which were looking lovely, full of spring blossom. The climbing roses covering the walls were coming into bloom. An enormous tree, the Abies Cephalonica or Grecian Silver Fir, was planted in the 1840s by Mrs. Dorothea Hasell. It is now the oldest and largest specimen in the United Kingdom, though it lost some branches in this year’s storms.

A Mallard Duck had found an unusual nesting place among the tulips in a planter on the terrace!

The outing was enjoyable and interesting, and we were blessed with good weather, which always makes a difference. Sheila Files

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SUMMER SONGS OF PRAISE

We are invited to join with our friends at Bassenthwaite

Sunday 4 August at 6.00 pm on The Village Green

On the 14th May we shared together in the Service of Joy and Thanksgiving, held following the death of David Baslington. We pray for Hilary and family in their sad loss. An account of David’s life may be found later in the magazine.

Our prayers and good wishes are with Rev John Dale as he settles in to Croft Avenue Residential Home in Penrith.

We are pleased to see Sheila Files is recovering after her accident, which resulted in a dislocated elbow, and hope she will be driving again soon.

We were delighted to be able to celebrate no less than 2 Diamond Weddings recently. Our congratulations go to Mary and John Helps and Margaret and Pater Shortland.

Our love and best wishes go to Herbert and Eileen Witherington from Threlkeld. Eileen celebrated her 90th birthday recently.

Congratulations, too, to Hylton Boothroyd who was 80 years young on 20 June!

We send our love and best wishes to all those who are generally unable to worship with us at this present time including: Eric Baker, Sally Dixon, Freda and Wilf Chambers, Greta Grave, Betty Guest, Hilda Hindmarch, Olive Holland, Sylvia McNae, Adrian Thwaite, Nora Walton, and Eileen and Herbert Witherington.

Church Family News

Christian Aid Week in Keswick

The approximate amounts collected during Christian Aid Week in and around Keswick were as follows: £ Coffee Morning 334 House to House Collection 4671 Street and Booths Collection 453 Methodist Jazz Service 427 St John’s Jazz Service 250 _____ Christian Aid Week Total £ 6135

This is less than the £6478 which we raised last year, mainly because we didn’t have as many collectors for the house to house collection, but still a very good effort. This does not include Gift Aid which will be worth another £938 to Christian Aid. The Lent Lunches earlier this year also raised more than £820. Many thanks to all who helped at the Lent Lunches and at the Coffee Morning, and to all those who went from house to house or stood in the street or at Booths collecting for Christian Aid.

Roy Ellis

Thanks to a cash grant from Christian Aid partner Hope Agency for Relief and Development, Madut Ayom Dong is building a safe, secure home for his family in South Sudan. When he and his family first arrived in the country, they lived under a tree. Christian Aid/Andrew Testa/Panos

David Baslington (1934 – 2014) Taken from the Address given by Rev Joyce Ellis at the Service of Joy and Thanksgiving for the life of David on 14

th May 2014 at Keswick Methodist Church

David was born in Hull in 1934, the youngest of 3 children with elder brother Colin and elder sister Mary. He was brought up in a Christian home which was to shape his life. Rev Jennet McLeod writes:

“During the last week or so of David’s life we had some long conversations about his life and faith. He shared with me the influence his paternal

grandfather had had on him – an ordinary working man who had been an alcoholic until he had a conversion experience – which I think happened as

a result of a ‘chance’ encounter when he was at the very lowest point. Convinced that there was no point in going on, he was drawn into a mission

hall that he was passing.

Whatever happened, his life was transformed and from that day on he became a man of great faith and generosity – reading his Bible and praying for an hour every day. In one of his prayer times he heard God calling him to give 2/6d every week to missionary work and even though he couldn’t

afford it, the call remained persistent and he did so for the rest of his life.

When David was called up to do his National Service, he was worried about being the only practising Christian but his grandfather told him to trust God and remain faithful and it would be OK – and one of the first lads that David met when he got to the base was another committed Christian – with whom he remained lifelong friends. David’s father was also a man of great faith –

a preacher, I think.

Knowing that he was near the end, David told me he was ready to go; he was at peace with himself; and looking forward to being with his

grandparents and parents. He said he’d been greatly blessed in life and was very thankful for that – and that the last 27 years with Hilary had been

a great gift”.

In Hull, David attended the local school, but his main interest whilst there seems to have been the football team, of which he was captain. However, it was whilst at school that David met his first wife, Audrey. They both attended Endike Methodist Chapel where they had lots of friends. At the end of the war David was sent by British Boys for British Farms to a farm to work. He described it as slave labour with a bossy individual in charge. He was required to work on Sundays, which he did not want to do, and so he ran away! On leaving school David then went to work firstly for a watch repairer and then at a market garden which he much enjoyed. His boss this time was a Dutch man from the chapel. He then went to do his National Service where he was attached to the medical corps, serving in Trieste, which again he enjoyed, though not being away from Audrey. When he returned he found the damp conditions of work in the market garden affected his health, bringing on bronchitis, and so he began to look for another job. In the meantime he and Audrey were married. David wanted to join the Police Force, but on first applying he found he was not heavy enough but when he tried again later he made sure that he wore his heaviest boots and I’m told, weighed himself down with coins in his clothes. This time he was successful and he went on to have a successful career in the police. He rapidly rose through the ranks to become a Chief Inspector and later became in charge of royal visits. This included the opening of the Humber Bridge and he even had a ride in the royal helicopter (though not I gather at the same time as the Queen!). Whilst in the Police Force he became a very active member of the Christian Police Association. Meanwhile David and Audrey had their two children, Heather and Robin. Later he was to enjoy grandchildren Lucy, Milly and Max, and Declan, Kieran, Liam and Liam’s brother Ryan. Sadly, at the age of only 46, Audrey died of cancer. It was four years later that David was to meet Hilary through the Methodist Church in Hull, where Hilary, who was also widowed, was visiting her son at University. They were married in 1986 and, both having a love of the Lakes, retired here where they were to enjoy 27 years together. Two years ago we were able to celebrate their Silver Wedding with them. David’s family was now extended to include step-children and later grandchildren to say nothing of other family members and friends from both sides of the family.

I said earlier how David loved his family, his garden and his dogs. All of us who have visited David and Hilary’s at Mereside can testify to the wonderful garden they created there, complete with wildlife pond and nesting bluetits. A sheer delight. The garden is also a great place for the dogs as is, of course, the surrounding countryside at Thornthwaite. David had many interests but one particularly I might mention, were the visits from Elena, one of the Chernobyl children. The children were brought here on a holiday by the churches, following the terrible disaster at Chernobyl. Elena came over for 3 years with the scheme and then for another 4 years by David and Hilary, when a strong bond was forged between them. They were delighted as they saw Elena grow up and become happily married, with children of her own. David was also very active in the church here in Keswick. He was very involved with Braithwaite Chapel and Youth Centre arranging the alterations; his brother drawing up plans and David supervising them. He was on the local Churches Together in Keswick Committee for many years, being treasurer for several. At this church he was on different committees, was a church steward and looked after the sound system. He was, as well, involved in the organisation of the Convention Catering; amongst other things being responsible for all the ordering. But now, in the words of the reading, chosen for us by David himself:

“..the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will

give me on that day …”

Our next Church outing will be on Friday 25th July when we will visit the Methodist Chapel at Brigham. Last year the congregation completely refurbished the chapel with a new entrance, new seating, new toilets and a new kitchen. We will leave our church car park at 2.00pm and drive to Brigham. We will have a tour of the premises to see all the changes then join some of the Brigham members for tea and cakes in the refurbished school room.

Roy Ellis

7.30pm Tues July 8

th Concert by The Detroit Methodist Chorale at

Penrith Methodist Church (see poster in church for further details) 7.30pm Mon Aug 4

th An Act of Worship at Carlisle Cathedral organised

by Cumbria Churches Together to Commemorate the 100

th Anniversary of the Outbreak of the

First World War.

3.00 pm Sun Sept 7th Circuit Welcoming and Commissioning Service

at Lorton Street Methodist Church Preacher: Rev Richard Teal, Chair of Cumbria Methodist District

4.00 pm Sat Sept 30th Welcome Service for Rev Jennet McLeod

Trinity Church Centre, Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness

followed by a faith tea

Church Family

Outings

Dates for your Diary

This advert appeared in the current issue of the Churches Together in Cumbria newsletter

Book Aid: Bibles and Christian books wanted An appeal from Jeremy Bond 'My name is Jeremy Bond and I am a member of King's Church Keswick. I am the local area collector for Book Aid which started in 1988 in response to the desperate plea for help from Christians in 'book famine' areas of Africa. Since that time over 20 million books and Bibles have reached the continent from the UK and 1 million are being shipped yearly.

If you live in the Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick or Penrith area and you have Christian books and Bibles to donate please contact me. We can also take Ladybird children’s books for the schools near the churches and bookshops we work with in Africa.

If you would be interested in being a local collector in these areas please contact me also: 01768 774425.

We have seen thousands of books and Bibles being donated from the generous people of Cumbria and we hope that will continue.

Please pray for the ministry started and still run by Bob and Ada Hiley and visit: www.book-aid.org‘

* * * * * *

The Circuit Magazine As from September 2014 the new editors of the Circuit

Magazine will be Heather and Keith Rushton. Here is a

request from Heather:

Dear friends of the Cockermouth and Keswick Circuit,

The next Circuit Magazine is due out Early August in

time for September. It will be published 4 times a

year – September, December, March and June. We would like to have news, upcoming events , stories poems etc.

as soon as possible and no later than July 13th. Copy

to Heather please at the.rushtons@tiscali.co.uk. or

post to 7 Rydal Drive, Cockemouth, CA13 9BL

Heather

4335 adults and 2151 children received three days’ emergency food and support from the North lakes Foodbank in the last 12 months – a shocking 57% rise on the numbers in the previous year.

Jessie Hendry, the project leader says “We’re seeing growing numbers turning to the North Lakes Foodbank for help from one of our distribution centres in Whitehaven, Wigton, Maryport, Cockermouth and Workington. Life is very difficult for people on low incomes at the moment and increasing numbers are struggling to make ends meet and are hitting a crisis where they cannot afford food. We don’t think anyone should have to go hungry which is why we’re so grateful for the incredible generosity of local people in donating foods, funds and time to stop local hunger.”

Last year local people donated over 50 tonnes of food to our local Foodbank and over 100 people volunteered.

Everyone who comes to the Foodbank is referred by a professional such as a social worker, health visitor or schools liaison officer. Over 100 professionals referred people to the North Lakes Foodbank in 2013-14. In Keswick people are referred by our Minister, Jennet and by Rev Stephen Pye and the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

During the last year our church donated 816 kilogrammes of food. A marvellous record. A big thank you to everyone who has brought food to church or made a cash donation to the Foodbank. Roy Ellis

Foodbank van loading up boxes

Some of you may have been disturbed recently about press coverage claiming that Fairtrade doesn’t help the poor. Here is an extract from a letter from the Chief Executive of Traidcraft concerning the report. If you would like to see the full contents of the letter

please let me know. Joyce Ellis

Dear Traidcraft Supporter, “Fairtrade doesn’t help the poor?” Well, that’s not Traidcraft’s opinion.

You may have seen or been made aware of some unbalanced and negative press coverage about Fairtrade certification in the last few days, and I wanted to write to you straight away to update you on Traidcraft’s position. The rather sensationalised reporting relates to the publication of a recent four-year study by development economists from the School of African and Oriental Studies. The focus of their work was around the benefits of Fairtrade certification in a small number of commodities in two countries in Africa, Ethiopia and Uganda. We welcome the research and are keen to learn what we can from it. However, we are sorry that instead of assisting in the continuous progress and improvement of Fairtrade, the findings are being used in the media to attempt to cast doubt on its impact on poverty. Fairtrade has historically focused on smallholder farmers, but much of this study concentrates on the seasonal or casual workers employed by smallholders. There is no doubt that in most cases, these workers are poorer than the farmers who employ them. It has been recognised that Fairtrade standards should be revised to do more for this important group of the rural poor, and hired labour standards in Fairtrade certification have recently been revised as a result. However, such changes take time to filter through to poverty’s front line. And time is a key issue. With 35 years of experience of working with smallholder farmers and fighting for trade justice in over 40 countries, we believe it is wrong for SOAS and the media to draw from this relatively small study the conclusion that Fairtrade does not improve the lives of the poor. At Traidcraft, we don’t just believe that fair trade works for the very poor, we know it does. We’ve seen it happen over decades,

with whole communities transformed.…… Thank you again for everything you do for Traidcraft, and for your continuing faith in our work to support the world’s poor.

Mags Vaughan (Chief executive, Traidcraft

News from the Traidcraft Stall

We meet on a Sunday evening at 7pm at 38 Briar Rigg. We usually start with one of the group playing a favourite piece of music and another bringing a prayer. We close our evening with tea, coffee and informal chat. New members are always welcome – why not give us a try and come along?

Our programme for the next 2 months is:

6th July Housegroup Communion

20th July Circuit Service & Farewell to Rev Jennet McLeod

2nd

August (Sat) Summer Barbeque at 6.30pm

17th August Informal evening

If you would like a lift please see Roy or Joyce Ellis (73340)

SUNDAY EVENING HOUSEGROUP

Rotas for July & August

Preacher Steward Welcome July 6 McLeod (S) Brian Margaret B, Joyce G July 13 Westley (Conv) Jane ALL STEWARDS July 20 J. Ellis (Conv) Sheila ALL STEWARDS 6pm Circuit Farewell Roy Joyce E, Joyce G July 27 McLeod (Conv) Brian ALL STEWARDS

August 3 Rushton (S) Roy John, Mary August 10 J. Ellis Jane Catherine, Michael August 17 Rushton Brian Helen, Richard August 24 Edwards Sheila Alison, Joan R August 31 R. Ellis Jane Kath, Joyce G

Tea/Coffee Traidcraft Counting July 6 John, Mary Christine Roy, Alison July 13 --- --- Dave, Harry July 20 --- --- Roy, Margaret 6pm Peter, Margaret --- Ted, Sheila July 27 --- --- Joyce E, Dave

August 3 Helen, Richard Kate Christine, Harry August 10 Hilda, Hilary --- Dave, Alison August 17 Helen B, Maureen D Christine Ted, Harry August 24 Ted, Jane --- Christine, Margaret August 31 Alan, Kath Joan R Joyce E, Sheila

Flower Rota for July & August July 6 Sally Dixon August 3 Margaret Bamber July 13 Convention August 10 Jane & Ted Holt July 20 Convention August 17 Edna Preston July 27 Convention August 24 Brian Moffatt August 31 Hilda Daley

Editor: Rev Joyce Ellis 017687 73340 joyce.ellis@zen.co.uk

The deadline for the September & October Newsletter is Sun Aug 10th

.

Services for July & August

July 6 10.45am Rev Jennet McLeod Holy Communion

July 14 10.45am Janice Westley & Convention Service

Peter Maiden 6.00pm Rev Jennet McLeod Reflective Service

July 20 10.45am Rev Joyce Ellis & Convention Service

Steve Brady 6.00pm Circuit Farewell Service for Jennet

July 27 10.45am Rev Jennet McLeod & Convention Service

John Risbridger

August 3 10.45am Rev Keith Rushton Holy Communion August 10 10.45am Rev Joyce Ellis Morning Worship 6.00pm Rev Joyce Ellis Healing Service August 17 10.45am Rev Keith Rushton Morning Worship

August 24 10.45am Rev Sue Edwards Morning Worship

August 31 10.45am Roy Ellis Morning Worship

Ministers: Rev Jennet McLeod 017687 72379 mcleod689@btinternet.com

Rev Sue Edwards 01900 823273 susan_edwards@hotmail.com

Circuit Website www.kcmethodists.org.uk

Have you visited the circuit website recently? There is a section for each of the churches, including

Keswick. This Newsletter is posted on the site as are the weekly notices. Do log on and see for yourself.