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September 2012

Although the church had quite a quiet programme, September was a busy month for us.  There were newsletters to write, print and send out;  leaflets to prepare, print and distribute (about 700 copies), as well as the routine of a normal month.
Jonathan preached at Tapton Hill Congregational Church on September 9th.  This was their Harvest Festival.  On the 13th, there was the circuit meeting at our Grimesthorpe Church, which Jonathan chaired in his capacity of circuit president.
Susannah spent the 14th shopping for the celebration meal, which was held on the 15th.  This was a thanksgiving for the generosity and hard work which had made the recent alterations possible.
Susannah preached at our Philadelphia church on the morning of the 16th.
Our church meeting was on the 19th and again Jonathan chaired this meeting;  the outcomes will be available shortly.
Susannah spent the 26th shopping for the supper club, the last in the summer season, and the 28th and 29th organising and running the MacMillan coffee morning on the 29th.
Jonathan preached at Mayfield in the morning and at Coal Aston in the evening of the 30th.

In the bog garden the Helianthus flowered very late this year.  Perhaps it is down to it being split earlier this year.  We will have to see what next year brings.  

August 2012

The early part of the month was spent collecting books and getting them to chapel.  These then had to be displayed ready for the book festival.  Following the festival, the remaining books had to be re-packed.  If anyone has a use for about 20 boxes of second hand books for a charitable purpose, please get in touch.

The bog garden continues to grow well, and some plants which we thought had succumbed to more vigorous competition have been found to return this year.

 Walking home along School Green Lane, we were inspired to take an artistic picture of the view.

 Susannah preached at Mayfield on 5th, and Jonathan on the 12th.
Inspired by a conversation between Wally Batty and Nora Batty (Last of the Summer Wine)  Susannah led our out of doors service on the 19th.

The conversation ran something like:
Nora:  Sometimes I think that you think of me as Just a wife!
Wally:  I've never thought of you as Just a wife.  Your'e about as much wife as any man could be expected to handle!

The theme of the service was "Not just a man!"

The 21st and 22nd were spent shopping a preparing for the supper club on the 23rd.

Susannah preached at Tapton Hill Congregational church on the 26th and 2-45p.m.  and Jonathan was at Greenhead at 11-00a.m.
The sight of the swallows gathering on the telephone line reminded us that Autumn is fast approaching.

 The trees will be changing colour soon.
Mowing the field proved more hazardous than expected when Jonathan got the mower stuck in the bog near the appropriately named Bog Garden.  Unfortunately, this bent the cutter blade when it dug into the ground.  Repairs are ongoing!

July 2012

Jonathan was preaching at Mayfield on Sunday July 1st, and was under instruction not to be long winded as we were setting off to Derbyshire.  After a brief coffee following the service, we set off.

Travelling along an apparently endless track,

 we eventually arrived at what passed for a car park, but which had space for rather fewer cars than had arrived.

 A rather picturesque farmhouse came into view, and we knew that we had arrived at the journey's end.

This was where we were to attend the annual love feast in a barn.  More details and pictures are available on the church blog.
Susannah was preaching at our Greenhead church on the 8th at 11-00a.m.
On Thursday 12th, we went to Hampden View Church for the quarterly Local Preachers and Leaders of Worship Fellowship.  Andy Wilcock led us in considering the use of story telling in the old testament and in worship.

Susannah preached at Mayfield on the 15th.  On the 17th she met with the Ladies meeting leader to discuss future developments.  Later in the week, both of us prepared the afternoon pet and animal service on a theme of Noah, and printed the orders of service.

Susannah preached at our Philadelphia church on 22nd at 10-45.

On the 24th and 25th we had to do the shopping for the supper club and then spent the evening of the 25th  preparing the beginnings of the meal.

Susannah preached at Tapton Hill Congregational Church on the 29th.

June 2012

The preparations for the Teddy Bears' Picnic were extensive, including collecting and displaying the items of jubilee memorabilia for the display.

Before the event, the New testaments and "No ordinary man" books had to be ordered, collected, and the commemorative plates inserted ready for the event.  Quizzes had to be written and duplicated, games equipment bought, and teddy bear biscuits cooked.

The bog garden continues to mature,and some of the plants which we thought had disappeared seem to have prospered this year.

The footpath outside the church, leading to the car park has started to look rather overgrown lately.  Since we were expecting large numbers of visitors to the flower festival, Jonathan spent an afternoon clearing the undergrowth.  Although not perfect, it is distinctly better than before.

Susannah was extremely busy collecting flowers and persuading shops to assist the festival by providing items.  Then she was therefor hours, getting things ready for the flower festival weekend.

Susannah decided to place a bible on the lectern for the flower festival, after the arrangements had been prepared.  She opened it at random, and was rather shocked at where it fell open.  Isaiah 35.

The desert and the parched land will be glad;

    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. 

Like the crocus,  it will burst into bloom;

    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. 

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; 

they will see the glory of the Lord,

    the splendor of our God. 

The month ended with a supper club for which the usual shopping and preparation had to be done.

May 2012

Early in May there was the coffee morning to shop and prepare for, and the grass to mow (again)

On 13th, Susannah and Jonathan were preaching at our Hampden View church on the Connexional plan.  This is the scheme whereby preachers are sent to churches centrally, rather than by the invitation of the churches themselves.

On Sunday 20th, Susannah was preaching at our Coal Aston church and on the 20th, we were both doing the shopping for the supper club.  Thursday 24th, we were both cooking for the meal.

Most of the rest of this week was spent in preparing the leaflets and posters for the coming events and posting them, not to mention hand delivering about 600 leaflets in the surrounding area.  

On Sunday 27thy, Susannah was preaching at Mayfield and Jonathan at our Greenhead Chapel in Chapeltown.

After these services we met with the people of Hampden View for Lunch and then went to Wesley Hall Methodist church for the "Whit Sing.".  This event is the direct descendant of the sings in the parks of former years

The Sunday School Union is now called Sheffield Christian Education Council, and is about to be reinvented again.

April 2012

 April has been a wet month, which has meant that the mowing has taken a back seat.  We are hoping that the ground will dry sufficiently before the grass requires a machete!
Susannah spent part of Monday the 16thshopping for the tea on Tuesday.  The she had to spend Tuesday preparing it. 
Thursday the 19th was the circuit  Local Preachers and Leaders of Worship Fellowship.  This was held at our Hampden View Church at 7-00p.m.  Jonathan Led the meeting on the theme of Sermon Preparation.  The topic was the cleansing of Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-19)
Jonathan was preaching at our Grimesthorpe Church in the evening of the 22nd.
On Tuesday 24th, most of the shopping for the supper club wasdone, so that the fresh produce and fish could be bought on Thursday.  Susannah and Jonathan then spent Thursday afternoon preparing the meal for about 30.  
Saturday, susannah took out posters for the coffee morning on May 5th.
On Sunday 29th, Susannah was preaching at our Grimesthorpe Church in the evening.