For many of us, we faithfully support the work of our churches and our chosen charities during our lifetime, regularly giving a proportion of our income.  The Bible teaches that giving back to God like this should be a priority for all Christians, as we share in God’s generosity to each one of us by sharing generously with others.  But this isn’t just about weekly collections or our monthly standing order; it is also about how we distribute our wealth and our possessions after we have gone.

As Christians, we try to live our lives in a way that follows Jesus and we also try to influence the world for better as we see it.  When we die, the resources that we have gathered in life don’t go with us, but are passed on to others.

Considering a legacy gift for the work of the Church and other charities like Christian Aid is a natural extension of this stewardship.  In fact for many of us, gifts in our wills may be the most significant charitable gift of our lifetime, after we have made plans for our family and friends.  Bequests and other planned gifts, which enable churches to expand their ministry and help Christian Aid in its work to end poverty and injustice around the world really are the ultimate demonstration of our stewardship commitment.  It is our opportunity to respond fully to the generous love of God in a way that brings lasting benefit and change.

Will Aid is happening again this November.  If you don’t have a will, or need to update your existing will, Will Aid presents an ideal opportunity for you to put your affairs in order whilst helping to raise money for the nine Will Aid charities.  Appointments can get booked up quickly, so we advise you to contact your nearest Will Aid solicitor as early as possible to book an appointment.

The nearest participating solicitors are Curtis Parkinson, Southchurch Drive, Clifton (964 7763) or DBS Law, The Ropewalk, Nottingham (947 0641) or Sillis& Betteridge LLP, King St., Nottingham (941 1469).

For more information about Will Aid, or to find more information about participating solicitors in this area, please visit www.willaid.org.uk or visit http://www.christianaid.org.uk/give/legacies/willaid.aspx or ring 0207 523 2177 and Christian Aid can help arrange a convenient appointment for you. 

During May, the churches took a big step forward: all four churches agreed to become 1 church from the 1st September. While we will still worship in our separate buildings (for now!), we will be considered one church with one church council.

So now is a busy but exciting time in our churches as we try to put together a new church council over the summer.

Over the past 2 Sundays, two different letters to members have been distributed. If you’re a member, definitely read them. If not, you may like to for information:

First Newsletter of the Beeston Methodist Church

Meetings to form new Church Council of Beeston Methodist Church

From The Committee, Gitare Primary School, Kenya– received Nov 21st

Dear Friends of Chilwell Road,

We are doing fine here in Kenya and we hope you are doing fine too. We have just finished the national exams for our class 8 pupils (aged 14) and we hope that they will excel and secure a place in high school. Some pioneers of this school have been very successful and most of them have joined so many professions like teaching and nursing. Although job opportunities are a major challenge we hope for the best in the future.

We are looking forward to government to stand for his people and create more jobs as we also try to equip the students with basic skills to help them to be self-employed in the future if they do not secure jobs. As you know Gitare is located in high altitudes area so we as a school we teach them that they can take advantage of the good weather and venture into things like agriculture or livestock-keeping. We will close school in the first week of December for the Christmas holidays.

We, as members of Gitare Primary School, would like to thank you for your care and support you have given us. We have been able to do many projects for the kids and the school through your support. We would not have done much without this support.

We would also like to thank you for the support you gave us on our last project. We have managed to build the classes which took longer than we expected because of the iron sheets which we had decided to recycle were quite old so we raised some money to replace them but now we can successfully say that we have done it. We are looking forward to doing more projects with you for the betterment of our children and the community.

Our church has also been very supportive in helping the kids to grow spiritually and also they are part of the school development. They have been very supportive both spiritually and financially. They also help to organise tours for the kids whereby they sponsor them to visit the zoos and other tourist attraction sites. Mostly the school is in charge of educational tours.

From us it’s to wish you a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year. Remember us in your prayers. Thank you.

Yours faithfully

Gitare Primary School Committee

Church charity 2014:  After some discussion it was agreed that the church charity will be jointly Hope and the Friary, both of which do similar work in different locations around Nottingham.  Ivor Moon, Ladies Circle and Anne Wragg will take this forward. Please get in touch with them to get involved.

Church Christmas cards of invitation:  We agreed that it would be good to have information about Christmas services for people outside our usual congregation, to be available to groups coming on to church premises and possibly distributed to local houses.  This should be across the Beeston Methodist churches and possibly Ecumenical.  A group led by Joyce Brown will be looking further at this.  Please get in touch with Joyce if you would be interested in helping with this project.

Bereavement group:  There is an opportunity for a group of people to become involved in visiting the family of those who have had a funeral at our church.  This should be a Beeston Methodist Churches initiative.  Training and support for those undertaking the work would be important.  Colin Barrett will speak to Anthony Oakley about the possibility about setting up such a group.

Mission to baptismal families:  It was decided to explore the possibility of inviting members of the church to become church Godparents, each keeping in touch as appropriate with a single baptismal family for as long as appropriate.  This could be through birthday cards and invitations to church events, for example last year a baptismal family Christmas party was held and it is intended to repeat it this year.  Ann Duffin will speak to Alison Rowe to explore this suggestion further. Further information will follow.

Church welcome booklet / pack:  The welcome booklet produced by the Forward group has become very out of date, and can no longer be used.  It was agreed that we should have a well produced booklet which is available for both newcomers to the church and users of the church premises. This should be printed in the church office so that it can be updated as appropriate. Neville Bostock will convene a group to organise this.

Event for 18-25(ish) year olds:  It was agreed that it is important to find out what we could provide for this age group from people of the age group themselves.  It is therefore intended to arrange an event and ask those associated with the church who are in this age group if they would be willing to come along and discuss this for the benefit of the church. Colin Barrett, Chris Prickard and Ray Heasley will take this forward.

Decorating the church for Christmas:  The advent liturgy this year is based on travelling to Bethlehem; the congregation will be invited to bring parts of their nativity sets each week (eg week one – angels).  It was agreed that it would be a good idea to decorate the 4 main windows downstairs with a backdrop ready to receive these items each week (one window for angels etc), which would then remain and build up to Christmas.  It was also suggested that the church groups could be invited to each decorate a Christmas tree to go in the windows in the two transepts of the church. Please speak to Diane Bown to offer help.

Invite a person for Sunday lunch:  We were reminded that this initiative will be launched with a Sunday lunch at church on 24^th November, but that people (both those offering to invite people for lunch and those who would enjoy going to someone’s house for lunch) are very welcome to join in at a later date even if they were not able to get to this initial lunch.  Please speak to Dianne Blakeley for more details.

For more information on any of these, please get in touch with the people mentioned directly, through the pigeon holes, or email via the church office at   admin@chilwellroadmethodist.org.uk

It all started a few weeks ago when I bought a new book to read (“Making Disciples in Messy Church”). I went to pick it up to read it, and then it occurred to me that I had already started 2 books and had one from Beeston library that needed to be returned soon, not to mention other books I had bought in the past (some of which had already been partly read). So it got me thinking generally about learning and knowing things (especially to do with faith and children/youth work) and what priority I put upon reading non-fiction books.

So hence the pile. I keep seeing it, being reminded that I need to read more and encouraged to read to get through these books (and partly it’s there because I’m running out of bookshelf space). I have a mixture, some on various aspects of children and youth work in churches and others about various aspects of Christianity. There is also the latest edition of the Youthwork magazine and in addition to all of this, I have started reading a few Christian blogs. I’m learning more about different views, different ideas, new ways about going about doing things and being inspired by others’ accounts. It’s not like I didn’t read before, but having the stuff in front of me reminds me to make it a regular part of my life, rather than something I do when I remember and have time.

What Christian books have you read that you have learned a lot from, found inspirational or just enjoyed? (because I apparently need more books on my pile!) Also, don’t forget Chilwell Road has a Church Library that anyone can borrow books from, and there’s some good ones on there! Some of mine, once finished, will end up there, and there’s some on there I want to read. But I think I’ll try and clear my pile first! (if possible: so far I’m on my third book of the pile and since started I’ve added 2 more and a magazine!).

Do all of these belong here? And yes, I was sufficiently intrigued to get my mobile out to take a photo and then share it on the church blog!

I had good fun that day playing with the dinosaurs and reading the dinosaur books with the children (should perhaps read “other children”!) It mixes my love of science and playing. What more could I want?

That’s the thing when you employ someone to do work with children – they can get as excited about the toys as the little ones do.

Recent sessions have done the following things: play games (table tennis is popular), balloon modelling, learning about Water Aid and human rights and played more games.

I (Sarah, Church Family Worker) am currently at Youth Fellowship on a games/socialising evening and this is what is happening: 2 people are playing a rousing game of under-the-table-tennis (there is much discussion over whether this should be renamed “under the table table tennis). 2 more are doing Kung Fu dancing while a third takes photos. Some are missing due to exam revision or being otherwise busy. While what we do is varied, you can be sure that there will be fun and silliness (no loud singing of Joseph and the Amazing Technicoloured Dream Coat this week…yet!) but at the same time we can have serious discussions about various topics.

So: if you’re of school age and year 8 or above, do join us! We’ll make you welcome!!Otherwise, you now know a little bit more about what we get up to.

ENOUGH FOOD FOR EVERYONE IF

In the run-up to the G8 summit in Northern Ireland on 17/18 June, the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign is staging a rally in Hyde Park, London on Saturday 8 June. Thousands of people will be coming together to raise their voices and demand an end to the scandal of hunger – a scandal that still sees 1 in 8 people without enough food.

David Cameron and other world leaders at the G8 could help change the lives of millions of hard-working families struggling to put food on the table. With a child dying every 15 seconds from hunger, this really is the silent injustice of our age.
But we can do something about it, and your voice can help. We can make a difference IF we demand world leaders give life-saving aid, stop tax dodging in the poorest countries, stop land grabs and grow food not biofuel.

Christian Aid Week is an expression of our unity as the people of God and an opportunity for us to come together in prayer and solidarity with some of the poorest people in the world.

Chilwell Road Methodist Church

 Wednesday 15^th May 6-9pm

An opportunity to:

• pray for those affected by injustice
• join in with some of Christian Aid’s current campaigns
• reflect on our role in bringing about change in God’s world

Families Welcome

Refreshments provided

World Space is an opportunity to focus on issues of justice, human rights and environmental concerns.  It is a forum to raise global and community issues and to seek our faithful response to them.

For more information please contact Alison Rowe alisonrowe03@hotmail.com 922 5456M      

This year’s Holiday Club is Mission: Rescue. Taking on a spy/secret agent theme, it looks at rescue focusing on the story of how God saved the Israelites from Egypt using Moses and how God’s ultimate rescue plan involves Jesus.

During Holiday Club week, please pray for the following:

• That we have a good turnout of children
• That we make everyone that comes feel welcome and settles in
• That everyone is safe
• Leaders as they lead games, crafts and learning from the story of Moses
• That as well as having lots of fun, we learn about God and that the faith of both leaders and attenders grows
• That attenders and their families come to the Holiday Club Service (14^th April) and that it may be a way to welcome new people into our congregation