Histon
Methodist
Church
March 2015
NEWSLETTER
REGULAR ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY
Services
10.30am and some evenings
MONDAY
Craft Club (alternate weeks, see Diary for dates)
2.00pm to 4.00pm
WEDNESDAY
Community coffee shop
9.00am to 5.00pm
THURSDAY
Thursday Group (1st Thursday in month)
2.45pm to 4.00pm
SATURDAY
Community coffee shop
10.30am to 11.30am
MINISTER’S MESSAGE
Dear Friends,
Lent has arrived. Traditionally this is the time when
we reflect on the Temptations of Jesus in the
Wilderness of Judaea.
After years of preparation, the time was right for Jesus
to begin his active ministry. He made his way to the
River Jordan where he was baptised by John the
Baptist. John’s ministry fulfilled the prophetic task of
preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. In a
very real sense the baptism of Jesus was a kind of
ordination. In Matthew 4: 16-17, we read that the
Holy Spirit descended upon him as a dove, and he
heard the voice of God the Father saying, “This is my
Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Thus all three persons of the Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit were present in and through the life and
work of Jesus.
His Baptism was certainly a high point in the life of
Jesus, but as is so often the case, times of great joy can
be followed by times of doubt and fear. It’s not
surprising therefore that immediately after the joy of
baptism, he was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness,
to be tempted. Significantly it was the Devil who
would do the tempting.
In the Bible, the Wilderness has special significance.
It is the place to discover our inner self, to move
beyond the superficial, plumb the depths and be
strengthened to face the challenges ahead.
Each of the temptations faced by Jesus were very
significant. Each one tempted him to do something
good in itself, but at the expense of the best. He was
wrestling with the implications of his calling as the
Messiah. What was really important and what
methods would he use to fulfil God’s purposes?
It would of course have been good for Jesus to turn
stones into bread, and so feed the hungry, but not at
the expense of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. So
quoting scripture he responds ‘One does not live by
bread alone, but by every word that comes from the
mouth of God’
It would have been good for Jesus to touch many
lives, but not by superficial gimmicks such as jumping
from the highest part of the temple so that angels
could rescue him. Scripture teaches that we must not
put the Lord our God to the test.
It would be good for all the nations to acknowledge
Jesus as Lord, but not if Jesus had changed sides and
was himself under the control of Satan. Again Jesus
quotes scripture ‘Worship the Lord your God, and
serve only him’.
Thanks to this time in the Wilderness, Jesus stood
firm. He refused to accept the good at the expense of
the best. Testing had strengthened him, and he was
ready for his ministry to really begin.
May your faith be strengthened and renewed in this
Lenten season, and may you be encouraged by the
example of Jesus, and the words of this text:
Editor: Jenny Phillipps, 57 Lone Tree Avenue, Impington, Cambridge, CB24 9PG.
Phone: 01223 234835. Email: jenny.phillipps@tesco.net
Minister: Revd Dr Peter Graves. Old Ness Farm, Ness Road, Burwell CB25 0DB
Phone: 01638 724928. Email: pcgcam@yahoo.com
Histon Methodist Church Newsletter
March 2015
‘Whenever you face trials of any kind consider it
nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of
your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have
its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete
lacking in nothing’ (James 1: 2b-4)
With every blessing
Your friend and minister
Peter C. Graves.
DIARY DATES FOR MARCH
Sun 1st
Mon 2
Preacher: Revd Dr Peter Graves
nd
10.30am
Craft Group
2.00pm
Wed 4th
Service at Bramley Court
2.45pm
Thu 5th
Thursday Group. Speaker: Revd Baroness Kathleen Richardson
2.45pm
Women’s World day of prayer at Salvation Army
Quiz evening (see notice)
2.30pm
7.00pm
Fri 6
th
Sun 8th
Holy Communion. Preacher: Revd Dr Peter Graves
Mon 9th
Science meets faith: Prof Keith Ward
Wesley Church
How Stephen Hawking’s views are surprisingly close to theistic belief.
Tue 10th
Camtrust table top sale in our hall
Thu 12
Fri 13
th
th
Housegroup at 57 Lone Tree Avenue
Big issues
Dementia and the associated issues Mike Francis and Julie Campbell
2.30pm
Country dancing
8.00pm
Mothering Sunday Preacher: Miss Rebekah Blyth
Mon 16th
Craft Group
Wed 18
7.45pm
11.00 – 2.30pm
Sun 15th
th
10.30am
7.30pm
10.30am
2.00pm
Service at Etheldred House
11.00am
Sun 22nd
Preacher: Mr Jim Taylor
Material for April Newsletter please
10.30am
Wed 25th
Circuit Meeting at Cottenham community centre
7.45pm
Housegroup
Big issues
The (Im)possibility of miracles Rev’d Dr Michael Wilson
2.30pm
Thu 26
Sun 29
th
th
Mon 30th
Preacher: Revd Dr Peter Graves
7.30pm
10.30am
Craft Group
2.00pm
SERVICES FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
Thu 2nd April
Maundy Thursday communion led by Revd Dr Peter Graves
Fri 3rd
United Good Friday service at St Andrews, Histon.
10.00am
Preacher: Revd Dr Peter Graves. This will be followed by a walk of witness
to the library for one hymn and a prayer then coffee and hot-cross-buns
in our hall (offers of buns to Christine, please)
Sun 5th
Easter Day communion
7.00pm
10.30am
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Histon Methodist Church Newsletter
May 2015
Advance fund. We have recently heard that
Cambridgeshire Historic Churches trust have
promised £2000. So currently we have raised, or have
been promised, about £285,000.
CHRISTIAN BOOK LIBRARY
We are starting a library with a few books that we
have been given, and to begin with this will be
available on a table in the hall during coffee on a
Sunday morning. Please sign the accompanying
notebook with your name, title of book borrowed,
date borrowed and date returned.
It is essential that we keep up our own fundraising and
we decided at our last meeting that it would be helpful
to have a separate fund-raising committee. The church
council agreed so we are asking through this
newsletter for volunteers for this committee. There
are lots of ideas but we need people to plan them.
Please will you seriously consider joining this
committee.
SERMONS ON THE LORD’S PRAYER
During the period leading up to Easter we will be
having a series of sermons on The Lord’s Prayer
We still await District consent to our scheme (which is
separate from grant approval). 60% of funds need to
be in place for this and more detailed plans than we
have at present. We are aiming at their June meeting
for this consent.
Unless otherwise noted, the preacher will be our
minister Rev Dr Peter Graves.
(In February we had: Our Father who art in Heaven.
Hallowed be Thy Name, and Thy kingdom come, thy
will be done.)
Christine Pooley
1st March: Give us this day our daily bread
8th March: Forgive as we forgive
with Holy Communion
PULPIT BIBLE
We now have a splendid new pulpit Bible, with thanks
to Janet Houghton for buying it. It is a large clear print
and is an updated version of the NIV Bible which is
what we have in the pews. A few words will be
different, also the page numbers, but do use it if you
feel able.
15th March: Miss Rebekah Blyth (visiting preacher)
Mothering Sunday
22nd March: Mr Jim Taylor (visiting preacher)
29th March: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil
5th April: For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and
the glory. Easter Holy Communion
GENERAL CHURCH MEETING AND GIFT
EVENING
Rev Dr Peter Graves (Preacher)
Rev Jean Simmonds (Celebrant)
All Services 10.30am
The General Church Meeting and Gift Evening will
take place on Tuesday 28th April at 7.30 pm.
All Welcome
Copies of Peter’s sermons are available on CDs to
borrow and return. Many thanks to Chris Whitworth
for doing this.
Nominations for the stewards, who are appointed at
this meeting, may be given to the minister by 5th April.
You must make sure that the person is willing to
stand, and get someone else to second your
nomination.
DEVELOPMENT REPORT
Following the meeting, refreshments will be served;
please bring a plate of food to share.
Circuit consent to our scheme was provisionally given
by the circuit meeting in September and confirmed by
the circuit leadership team in November.
We hope you will be able to come; this meeting is
open to the whole church, and is a chance to give your
views on what is going on in our premises.
Our architect is now extremely ill, with not long to
live, so, with his permission, we are in the process of
appointing a new architect, and hopefully will have
one in place by the end of this month.
QUIZ EVENING - FRIDAY 6TH MARCH 7PM
Come and join us for a not-too-serious evening of
questions, answers and refreshments.
Teams of up to eight, or join a team on the night.
Tickets £8 per person.
Tickets are going very fast but may still be available
from Robin and Joy McCombie or Wednesday
Community Café.
Michael Simmonds has been working hard at
applying for grants. We have been promised £93,000
from the circuit (from the sale of Papworth). The
District administers two grants and we have been
promised £10,000 (the maximum) from one of these,
the Hunter Rowe trust and £50,000 from the District
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Histon Methodist Church Newsletter
May 2015
Future Dates when help will be needed:
sessions will again enlighten and maybe surprise us.
Do join us.
YARD SALE 15TH MAY
Thanks to all our speakers, those who make the
delicious desserts and those who have helped in any
way to make this another special series of Big Issues.
It’s the time of year for clearing out cupboards etc.
Please save any suitable items to be sold at our yard
sale on Saturday morning 15th May. Help will be
needed to sort on Friday evening and to serve on the
stalls Saturday morning. We usually sell a slice of
cake along with coffee, contributions gratefully
accepted. All proceeds to our development fund.
Helen Allen
NEWS FROM TURNING POINT
It is not unusual for children on Kibera slum to opt out
of home and family life and choose to live on the
streets in Nairobi. They feel independent, no one tells
them what to do and, rather than sharing meagre
rations with family at home in a tiny mud shack,
whatever money they beg or earn is just for them.
Kenyan children are very appealing with their big
brown eyes and people do respond. Once they
experience having a little money for themselves,
choosing what food they buy, which would rarely
comprise a balanced, healthy diet, they feel grown up
and, unaware of the many dangers of living on the
streets, they think they have found a better option.
However, they are exposed to huge risks. Social
workers, employed by the charity, go out looking for
any children known to Turning Point who disappear
from home and they are invariably able to persuade
them because they miss the friendship, activities and
meals Turning Point provide and realise at quite a
young age that education is the best route out of
poverty. Then great care is taken in reuniting the
family.
FEAST SUNDAY 5TH JULY
There will be a Feast Festival in the High Street again
this year, an opportunity for us to be involved in the
community by serving teas on Sunday afternoon.
More help and baking needed, please keep the date
free if you can.
DISTRICT CHAIRMAN’S VISIT
We are very privileged to have a visit from Revd
Julian Pursehouse, Chairman of our District, on
Sunday 19th April to lead our morning worship.
He has accepted our invitation to stay for lunch, and it
was agreed at our recent church council meeting, that
we would organise a buffet lunch in our hall.
Tickets, at a cost of £7.50, will be available nearer the
time, and we will also be requesting help on the day
and offers of homemade desserts.
HOLIDAY CLUB 27TH – 31ST JULY
However, now and then children not known to
Turning Point, hear about the charity and come to one
of the projects. Two brothers, Brian and Joseph, who
were living independently on the streets arrived one
day recently. The city pavements are not comfortable
beds and as many of us learn in varying ways when
we are young, having freedom and a little money does
not constitute a good life. Now they live back at home
and are at Turning Point’s primary school every day.
Their hopes and dreams have changed, they want
something more from life, wear their new school
uniform with pride and are both working hard to
out-do each other’s grades. Through the hardship of
their life experience they have come to really value
the education they are being offered. Brian and Joseph
have exchanged their short – term plan for a life
changing opportunity. The school, named Chemi
Chemi Ya Tumaini which means Fountain of Hope, is
a window to a better future and Brian and Joseph are
learning something else that many of us have learned.
God doesn’t waste experience, even sad and painful
things are used to help us grow and fulfil our potential
and God walks with us through it all.
We have been asked to provide lunches again this
year, but we can only agree to do this with a firm
commitment of help throughout the week
Please let me know if you are able to help with any of
the above events
Rosemary Watson
BIG ISSUES
Following Prof Sir Brian Heap’s talk on Stem Cells
and the Right to Life on 26th February, the last two
meetings of our current series of Big Issues take place
in March – last but by no means least!
On 12th March Mike Francis and Julie Campbell will
advise us about Dementia and the Associated Issues,
and on 26th March Revd Dr Michael Wilson talks on
The (Im)Possibility of Miracles. All meetings begin at
7.30pm.
We have been delighted to welcome many visitors to
our evenings, and I’m sure the subjects of our last two
Jean and Michael Simmonds
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