TRADITIONAL GARDEN FETE

St. Gregory’s Church,  on Saturday 14^th August 2010, 2 pm, at River House, The Croft, Sudbury.

Attractions include Punch & Judy Shows, Tombola, Gift Stall, Bowling, Books, Children’s ‘Good as New’, Plants, Bric-a-brac, Refreshments, Cream Teas, Ices, Grand Draw.

Admission 50p for adults, free for accompanied children under 16.

Glemsford Methodist Church

Saturday 21st August, 2-4pm, Tye Green Centre, Glemsford, CO10 7RH.

Teas, B-B-Q, children’s ride, bouncy castle, games, various stalls. Admission is free.

NOTE: Flower Festival continues Sunday 22nd August, 10am – 6pm.

The talented Psalm Drummers were first to take the lead setting the tone with their amazing rhythmic and pulsating drum playing; billowing flags waved in the air like tongues of fire as the flag dancers produced a charming routine to the sounds of worship songs whilst the delicious aroma of burgers and sausages wafted through the air from the free BBQ that was cooking all afternoon (thanks to Bizzi Beans for their support!).

Music was the main focus of the event with groups from around the town and beyond capturing the excitement and warmth of the day – groups such as the Vineyard Worship Band, the Cornard Christian Fellowship band, the Inter-Church Choir and amongst many others, special guest, Godfrey Birtill, an eminent songwriter and musician of notable fame, who took the stage before a rapturous audience.

Children were catered for by face painters and bubble blowers from Future Vision as well as having a bouncy castle on which to play. “Open The Book” provided drama featuring “Jonah the Groanah” such as they produce when working with some of the local schools.  The two Sudbury Rotary Clubs displayed an actual Shelter Box which are sent out to places around the world suffering from major humanitarian disasters.  A variety of stalls were set around the perimeter of the market square displaying some of the many aspects of Christian work around the town – Men In Christ, Women Aglow, Town Pastors, Christian Bikers to name just a few.

As with other years, no charge was made for the event but people were keen to give donations and £173.22 was raised for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice Treehouse Appeal. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day possible and to all those who came along to enjoy themselves!

All are invited and very welcome. I will be using the evening to speak about what Moorlands Bible College does, what I have been doing there for the past year and what I’ll be doing for the next two years.

There will be a time for questions at the end followed by coffee/tea, cake and fellowship!

Please come along and I look forward to seeing you there!

David Cornes

(David was active on the local church scene, with Eden’s, with baking cakes for Kettle & Fish and with help on the CTiS website before he went to college last autumn.)

PRESS RELEASE

WALNUTTREE – A SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING: ALL INVITED!

With the expected closure of in-patient beds at Walnuttree Hospital we come to the end of another phase in the long and colourful history of the site.  In future, alternative beds will be bought in the community, offering the service as close to the patient as possible.

Originally built as a workhouse for the poor, the present buildings have served as a hospital since the foundation of the National Health in 1948.

On Sunday 18^th July 2010 there will be a Service of Thanksgiving at St Gregory’s Church, starting at 3pm.  The address will be given by the Rt Revd Clive Young, Bishop of Dunwich.  Everyone is most warmly invited to attend.

This will be an opportunity for the staff, patients and people of Sudbury to look back and give thanks for all that has been achieved at Walnuttree Hospital over many years and, equally importantly, to look forward to the future as we begin a new phase of healthcare.

For any further information on the Service please contact the Revd Canon David Crawley, Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Services Manager, 01284 713486.

There will be a B-B-Q as well as the opportunity to purchase one of the infamous Eden’s Ice-cream Sundaes and other desserts.

You can have a game of pool, try your hand at the computer games or do some jamming in the MusicZone.  Or simply relax in the courtyard garden with a non-alcoholic cocktail.

Drop-in at any time during the afternoon, we would love to see you!

For more on Eden’s, go to www.edensproject.co.uk .

Please download our current newsletter.

….at St Gregory’s Church Hall, Prince St, starting at 7.30 pm with refreshments from 7 pm.

In addition to updates on the regular activities of Churches Together, we expect to hear more about becoming a Fairtrade Town, and a progress report on outreach to the 18 to 30 age group.

The minutes may now be downloaded as can the 18-30 Report.

Attached are

• The agenda
• Financial report
• Other reorts
• Eden Report

The main focus will be “Sudbury – A Fairtrade Town?”, introduced by the Revd John Boardman.

There will be written and verbal reports on some of our many activities and linked organisations.

You can also  view a photo-montage of Eden’s “The Noise 2010”.

Please download the poster.

All are welcome.

Dads’ Brunch Club @

A new club in Sudbury has just started up which offers dads a great venue to spend time with their family. Taking time out with the children can be difficult if the weather means not being able to go out to the park or, in these trying financial times, the budget won’t stretch to much else.  The club was started up by a group of men who have experienced the difficulties of being separated from their families for whatever reason, and where facilities of this type for fathers are virtually non-existent. The aim is to encourage men with kids to come along and share in friendship, and to provide an alternative to being a lone dad with children trying to find something to do.

The club is called the Dads’ Brunch Club, and offers the chance to chill out with really good coffee and eats while the children enjoy playing with some of the great stock of games and DVDs. Starting on Saturday 13^th February, it will be initially open from 10am to 2pm on the second Saturday of each month. Taking place at Number Seventy Two, the new club is the latest in a whole programme of family-based events which happen at the Sudbury Family And Community Centre in North Street, and is the second Saturday dads’ project in the town following on from the successful monthly toddler group ‘Who let the dads out!?’ that meets on the 4^th Saturday of the month.

Organiser Tim Ayrton commented:   “We are really pleased to be offering this new club for dads at Number Seventy Two. It is our vision to offer easily accessible support and friendship to all, and this new club is a key part of supporting dads and their families in Sudbury.  We are encouraged by the support of Churches Together in Sudbury, and we would like all dads to know that they will sure of a very warm welcome.”

Poster available to download, courtesy of  Kathleen Ben Rabha, C of E Community Affairs Adviser.

From: Julie Mansfield, Churches Together in Suffolk’s County Ecumenical Officer

We need lots of visitors, some help & lots of cakes/scones …… and help for Nena picking strawberries in the morning of 26th! Lots of the team are in the SCT so it would save a lot of phone calls if you could ask for the details to be announced at churches if poss – the Haiti fund-raising is for Samaritan’s Purse.

See attached flyer.