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Disciple

The Newsletter of the Metropolitan Congregation

Week commencing 26th March 2017


Welcome to our newsletter and to the ministry of the Metropolitan Congregation of Wilbraham St Ninian's URC - serving and celebrating the LGBT communities of Manchester and the North West.

If this is your first contact with us, we are delighted to greet you here.
 

Sunday Worship

Philip JonesPhilip Jones was our preacher on Sunday.

Philip reflected on some wider perspectives of how our church communities can respond to Mothering Sunday, in contrast to the much more commercialised Mothers Day which seems to dominate every retail outlet at this time of year.

You can read the text of Philip's sermon here, and you can hear the audio version of it on the Audio and Video page of our website here - just scroll down to the Sermons section of the page.

Our sincere thanks also go to:
  • Jenny-Anne, Elen, Margaret, Pam and Walt who assisted with various parts of the service;
  • our singers and musicians for their dedicated ministry of music in the church;
  • and the team of helpers who prepare the church for worship, provide us with refreshments, manage the distributions from our foodbank, and clear things away at the end of the day.

More asylum successes:

- for Albert

Albert OsagieWe are delighted to hear that Albert Osagie, a regular attender at our church since 2015, has been granted leave to remain in the UK as a result of his asylum hearing some weeks ago.

Albert received the decision in his case at the beginning of March but wished to hold back on his good news until the two-week period had safely passed within which the Home Office could have appealed his decision.

God bless you, Albert, and many congratulations on reaching the end of a long and difficult case.
 

- and for Sonboy

Sonboy NdebeleWe heard yesterday that another of our church attenders has been successful in his recent appeal in the asylum tribunal. We wait to see whether the Home Office will challenge the judge's decision, but we can now hope that Sonboy will be granted leave to remain in due course.

Sonboy Ndebele from Zimbabwe has been worshipping in our congregation since January 2016 and we are delighted that he can now live his life free from the persecution that he suffered in his home country due to his sexuality.

Our thanks go to everyone who has supported Sonboy during his asylum process, and our sincere gratitude goes to the ever-wonderful Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit who prepared his case and represented him at his recent hearing at the asylum tribunal in Stoke.

May God bless you Sonboy for whatever the future may hold.
 

Abbey and Cyprain - still in detention at time of writing

Abbey KyeyuneMany of you will be aware, as a result of the campaigning and social media messages relating to Cyprain Buh Tah and Abbey Kyeyune, that our friends remain in detention and continue to be at risk of deportation.

The full stories of each of their cases are given on their respective petition pages which are still live and for which we welcome your support - Abbey here, and Cyprain here.

Cyprain Buh TahYour continuing prayers are asked for their release from detention and a just outcome to their asylum cases. Both of them have sent messages of thanks via our congregation to everyone who has supported them so far with their prayers and all who have worked with their lawyers to make a difference in their cases.

If you wish to send personal messages of support, the easiest way is to send a text message to their phones. Please don't expect a reply as their priority is probably to save their phone credit for essential calls to their lawyers and campaign teams.
  • Abbey: 07466 819264
  • Cyprain: 07405 585508

Trans people's sexual health survey

trans flag
The LGBT Foundation's online survey which looks at sexual health, and experiences of sexual health services, for trans people in England is now live.

The survey is part of the Foundation's ongoing sexual health project for trans people, and the responses given will contribute to the insights being gathered into what good, inclusive sexual health provision looks like, enabling the Foundation to work with sexual health services to promote good practice in working with trans service users.

All answers given will remain anonymous and confidential, and there is also the option to be entered into a draw for one of two £100 shopping voucher prizes after completing the survey. Click here to access the survey, which will be live until midnight of Friday 7th April.
 

Gardening Morning - Saturday 8th April - 10am till noon

garden
Volunteers are welcome to join us for some tidying, pruning and waste-clearing of the garden areas at church between 10am and noon on Saturday 8th April.

We will provide a soup and sandwich lunch at noon to say thank you for your help.
 

Manchester Passion - Saturday 8th April - assemble from noon, performance starts at 2pm

Manchester Passion
When? Saturday, 8th April, 2017, 2pm
Where? Cathedral Gardens, Manchester

Manchester Passion will celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, with a simple message of love, hope and forgiveness. The production will include live drama and music with a cast of over 30 actors, The Manchester Inspirational Voices Choir, and the Sweet Rhythm Big Band.

The event has a website here, a Facebook Page here, and a Twitter feed here.
 

Lent Gift Day - 9th April - 'Laughter Africa'

Laughter Africa
Our church's Gift Day appeal for 2017 will be for Laughter Africa, a charity working with street children in Africa to help them fulfil their aspirations and bring about positive change in their lives.

You can read about the work of the charity on their website here.

The Gift Day will be Palm Sunday, 9th April, and enevelopes for donations will be available in church.
 

Holy Week and Easter

Passover Meal - Maundy Thursday, 13th April 2017, 7pm

PassoverFollowing our custom in previous years, we will mark the Thursday of Holy Week by holding a bring-and-share meal which will be interspersed with elements from the Jewish Passover service together with a simple Christian communion service.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this event, just bring yourself, perhaps some friends, and some ready-to-eat (or very easily prepared) food to share.

In particular, for those who find it difficult to travel to church over the Easter weekend when public transport becomes restricted, we find this shared meal on the Thursday evening can be a pleasanilt way of coming together socially and spiritually during Holy Week.
 

Good Friday worship - 14th April - 3 pm

crucifixionIn commemoration of the most solemn day of the Christian year when we reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus, there will be a simple service of readings, hymns, prayers and silent reflection at 3pm in church.

The service lasts around one hour, and everyone is welcome to attend and to spend time in heart and mind with Jesus, as the Passion reading according to St John describes the events of those final days leading up to Jesus's execution as a public criminal.

In the memorable words of Isaac Watts, we shall 'survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died'
 

Easter Sunday - 16th April - 10.45 am only (no service at 4.30 pm)

EasterIn line with our practice in previous years, our afternoon congregation will join with the morning congregation at 10.45 am for a united service celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the message of Easter.

Accordingly, there will be no afternoon service on Sunday 16th April. If you have friends who may not be aware of this, please tip them off and help to avoid wasted journeys.

Our 4.30 pm worship services will resume as usual from Sunday 23rd April.
 

Conference for Lay Preachers – Exploring Wisdom - Thursday 20th – Saturday 22nd April 2017

Lay Preachers Conference Luther King House is hosting Northern College’s popular Lay Preachers’ and Worship Leaders’ Conference when the theme will be Exploring Wisdom. This will be done through Scripture and in a variety of creative and practical ways.

The programme is available here.

As last year, the dates for attendance are flexible. You can come along for Thursday/Friday, or Thursday/Friday/Saturday, or just for the Saturday.

Paul Barrett in Registry (learning@lkh.co.uk) will be happy to deal with bookings and practical questions; if you would like any further information about the content, please email Rosalind Selby (rosalind.selby@lkh.co.uk).

Full details on this event, along with registration options and printable media, please visit the Lay Preachers Conference Event Page.
 

LGBT Foundation - Women's Book Group - breaking for Easter but back in May!

women's book groupThe LGBT Foundation's Women's Book Group won't be meeting this April due to the Easter break but will resume on Tuesday 2nd May and the book is The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

This monthly reading group is run by Monica Pearl, who is a lecturer in 20th Century American Literature at the University of Manchester and a keen reader - the group is a safe and fun space to talk about the chosen book, sharing experiences and thoughts with like-minded people!

For any questions or accessibility needs please email claudia.carvell@lgbt.foundation or phone 0345 3 30 30 30
 

Big Day Out - 8th July - Southport Convention Centre

Big Day Out
The North Western Synod of the United Reformed Church, together with Mersey Synod, are holding another Big Day Out on Saturday 8th July from 10.00 am, at Southport Convention Centre.

Tickets cost £8 for adults before 17th April, and after that date they will be £10 each; children 16 years and under have free entry. Please note that, although there is no cost for children to attend the day, they will need to book a ticket.

The programme will include:

Speakers:
  • Revd John Proctor - Acts: the Church in Action
  • Revd Steve Chalke - The Church and Peacemaking Initiatives
  • Revd Richard Church - Walking the Way
  • Revd Andrew Roberts - Holy Habits
  • Lawrence Moore
  • Grace Pengelly
Workshops:
  • Dementia – awareness in worship and work within the community
  • Developing the Church in the community
  • Gathering and telling stories
  • Puppets in worship
  • The Naked Vicar
  • Magic/clowning
  • Art in worship
  • Drama
  • Crafty Christians and Fun Science
Latest details and a downloadable booking form are available here. Additionally, a Twitter feed for the event is available here, and a Facebook page is here.

Translate this newsletter

Here's how you can read this newsletter in a wide range of other languages, thanks to Google Translate:

1. Click on the" View it in your browser" option at the top of the email. (Note: Ignore this step if you are already viewing the newsletter as a webpage rather than as an email.)

2. Click the "Translate" button.on the top row of the webpage view.

3. Click on your choice of language from the drop-down list.

Songs this Week

For the beauty of the earth dates from the Victorian era when Folliett Sandford Pierpoint originally wrote this hymn for use during the Communion of the Anglican Church. It was first published in the 1860s and invites us to reflect on all God's gifts in our world and in our lives. We sing it to the familiar tune 'Dix' which is also associated with the Epiphany hymn 'As with gladness, men of old'.

When I receive the peace of Christ is a lively setting of words by Church of Scotland minister Michael Mair to the English carol tune 'The Seven Joys of Mary'. The words, first published in 2005, reflect on how the peace of Christ brings an end to loneliness and enables us to take the hand of our brother, our sister, our own self, and Christ Jesus as our friend.

Sing of a girl in the ripening wheat is a folk-style song with words by Damian Lundy and set to the tune Scarborough Fair. Each verse reflects a different stage in the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus and, in so doing, also invites us to reflect on the major events in the life of Jesus.

Make me a channel of your peace was written by Sebastian Temple in 1967 and has become a very popular modern sung setting of St Francis of Assisi’s most well-known prayer. It embodies the Gospel values of turning things around – we ask that we may bring love in place of hatred, pardon in place of injury, faith instead of doubt, hope in place of despair, light instead of darkness and joy instead of sadness. All this happens only in and through Jesus who empowers us to love with all our soul.

Daily Prayer Resources

Daily readings, reflections and prayers via email are offered by the United Reformed Church. To subscribe to the free service please complete the online subscription form here

If you would like to explore some additional on-line prayer resources, please visit the Daily Prayer and Devotion page on our website here.

Previous issues

You can view previous issues of our Disciple newsletter by following the links on this page of our website.

Foodbank

Many thanks for your regular and generous donations to the foodbank. You make a real difference to people's lives - some will have a meal on their table today solely because of your gifts!

We provide a bag of food and other basic essentials to a number of people each week which supplements either the meagre allowance they are given by the state or (for many) the Red Cross food parcels they receive for a limited period. We know that some people rely just on the food we provide as they are not entitled to either help from the state or the Red Cross.

As a general rule, we always need long-life foodstuffs such as
  • rice,
  • pasta,
  • pasta sauces,
  • tinned vegetables (peas, carrots, baked beans, kidney beans, potatoes, chopped or plum tomatoes),
  • canned fruit,
  • jams and preserves,
  • tea, coffee, sugar,
  • and any other long-life basic larder items such as herbs, spices and condiments
Personal toiletry items (ideally 'family' brands for use by both men and women) - such as shower gel, shampoo, soap and deodorant - are also very welcome.

Meetings Calendar


Church Meetings (Sundays at 1.45pm)
  • June 18th
  • September 17th
  • December 17th
Elders Meetings (Mondays at 7.30pm)
  • April 24th
  • May 22nd
  • June 12th (if required)
  • July 24th
  • September 11th (if required)
  • October 23rd
  • November 27th
  • December 11th (if required)
 
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