NOTICES

EVENTS

If you want a notice put in the weekly bulletin, please contact Mandy Lewis (see emails section of the Contacts page).

For the latest Bishops Itchington 'Tiddler' magazine (.pdf), click HERE. (2MB filesize.)

Hunningham  – ringing the changes      
Starting 22nd January 2012 we have a new informal format for our Sunday Worship on the 4th Sunday of the month, starting THIS SUNDAY Everyone VERY WELCOME, especially Teenagers and children.
(There will still be a crèche for the 5’s and under as well). Do come.
 
Wildlife Around Marton Talk      
The next LIFE talk is on Thursday January 26th at 7.30pm, in the back room of the Green Man PH, Church Road, when Graham Robson of Marton presents a collection of film and photographs with commentary on "Wildlife around Marton". All welcome, members or non members. Free entry. Donations may be made to Myton Hospice. Further information - Charlotte 811892.

Elvis Night      
On Saturday Jan 28th. A FROLIC event to raise funds for Holy Trinity. Elvis, Buddy Holly and the Warwick Gospel Choir will be singing at the Parish Church. Wine, beer and soft drinks will be available for purchase. £10 per person including complimentary drink and hot food. Book tickets with Keith & Lesley on 810488.

Planning for the Future      
A meeting of the Feldon Group at 7.30 pm on Thursday 2nd February in Long Itchington Church.
We need to face the facts:
•    Financial:
the Feldon Group will sooner or later be expected to pay the full costs of its stipendiary clergy.
At the moment we are being subsidized by more than £30,000 by other parishes in the diocese; our parish shares do not cover the cost of even 2.0 stipendiary clergy, let alone the 2.6 stipendiary clergy we currently have in the group. (David Forster is only paid expenses.) 
•    Personnel:
in three or four years time all of the present stipendiary clergy may have moved on.
our successors will want to come to a situation where it is clear what is expected of them, and where those expectations are reasonable! At the same time we all will want to feel that we are moving forwards.
•    Strategy:
the Diocese has a strategy to fulfil its mission purpose of worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming our communities. The Feldon Group is expected to follow that strategy.
We need to start planning now!

Questions:
•    ‘How can we fulfil our mission purpose and grow the Kingdom of God?’
•    'What ministries, paid and unpaid, do we need in the Feldon Group to grow the Kingdom of God?' 
•    'What resources (finances, buildings etc) do we need?'
•    'What are the next steps?'

We may not come to final conclusions, but we need to make a start!

All are invited – Churchwardens, PCC members, and all who are interested in the future of the church.

Soup Lunch in Offchurch       
February 4th 12 -2 pm. A date for your diary;  SOUP LUNCH in Offchurch village hall on Saturday, February 4th. from 12noon-2pm
In aid of Merlin; an International Medical Emergency charity. Only £5 per adult, children under 5 are free. Contact Jenny Daniell 01926-336760 for further information

SOCS Reunion.      
The next "Reunion" of Little Socks will be on Sunday 5th February at the 10am Quality Time Service, Community Hall, Radford Semele.
Please remember to put your name and whether Gift Aid can be claimed in your sock!

A Different Lent Course    
This is a Lent Course that will help us and help the Diocese too! It is a five week course called (for the time being) 'The Healthy Church Development Jigsaw', and it has been written by the new Diocesan Learning Advisor, Rev Martin Kirkbride, for use across the diocese, starting after Pentecost 2012. We're doing it before then, because he wants it to have a test run first! So on Tuesday evenings in Lent, from 28th February to 27th March, Martin will be running the course in Holy Trinity Church, Long Itchington starting with coffee etc at 7.30pm and finishing at 9.30pm at the latest. We will sit as small groups so that we can interact with each other, and we can come either as existing small groups or as individuals. The more people come the better it will be, as we will be able to learn how best we and our churches and groups can develop our Christian life, and also we will be able to provide Martin with feedback to help him make the course as helpful as possible for the diocese as a whole.

Double Vision in concert       
Ray Burley and Gordon Giltrap will be coming to St Michael’s, Bishops Itchington on 17th March to do a joint concert.


featuring Gordon Giltrap : acoustic guitars
 & Raymond Burley : classical guitar

Tickets : £12 (£10 concession)
are available from Martin and Louise Green
St Michael’s Vicarage, Bishops Itchington  (01926 613466)

Refreshments and merchandise available


Amazing when they perform separately, and together they are a stunning combination! Do come and support them and the church on this special evening of music and banter.
 
The Coventry Pilgrimage
26th March to 1st April 2012     
To be held in the week beginning 26th March 2012 and culminating in a pilgrim service in Coventry Cathedral on the evening of Palm Sunday 1st April 2012.
The idea for a pilgrimage has arisen in part from the inspiring story, told in Stephen Verney’s Fire in Coventry, of the Cross of Nails 40-day pilgrimage around the Diocese before the consecration of  Coventry’s new Cathedral on 25th May 1962.
The proposal for 2012, the Jubilee year of Coventry Cathedral, is to follow the route of the 40-mile way-marked circular footpath, the Coventry Way.
A week event will cover the route with walks of 4 ½ to 6 ½ miles on weekday evenings between 5pm and 8pm from Monday 26th March followed by day walks on Saturday and Sunday, with pilgrims returning home each night.  A weekend event for experienced walkers, youth groups etc. will cover the route with long walks from Friday evening to Sunday, pilgrims being accommodated en route.  A pilgrim service will be held each evening in a church on the route. Additionally, there will be a route planned from the south of the Diocese which could be walked to link up with the Coventry Way.
You will be able to find more information at www.sherbournetrust.net
For the Coventry Pilgrimage 2012 planning group, 1 Hill Top, Coventry, CV1 5AB      Tel: 07938 403290
thecoventrypilgrimage@yahoo.co.uk

A Quiet Day in Eastertide at Offa House     
Monday 16th April 2012 at 09.30 am to 3.15 pm.
The world is a noisier place than it has ever been. A media-driven culture seems designed to prevent people from being or becoming reflective, quiet, non-active and still. And when people finally sit still they mostly prefer to be watching a flickering screen to distract them from a growing dread of inner emptiness and the apparent futility of a society and probably a whole civilization that seems to be sadly off-course.
Christianity should be a means of steering the world on course. This is a role that the Church has played with greatly varying degrees of competence down the ages. It is, however, important to realise that traditionally the Church has striven to play this part by paying close attention to the Word of God by means of reflection, meditation and contemplative prayer.
In the midst of our turbulent times, God is calling us to be still and to listen to his Word in silence and at depth. To help you to do this, The Fellowship of Contemplative Prayer is arranging a day of silent listening to the Word of God at the Coventry Diocesan Retreat House, Offa House (near Leamington Spa). For further details and booking please contact
The Revd Canon Martin Tunnicliffe 202 Ralph Road  Solihull  B90 3LE
or phone: 0121 745 6522  or email:  martin.tunnicliffe@tesco.net
You are advised to respond early as places are limited and some are already taken.

OTHER NOTICES

Help needed
At the Campion School, there are a number of Afghani refugee children. Three of them have just been moved from foster care into council accommodation in Leamington, as they have turned 18. However, they have very little furniture. If anyone has any basic furniture etc. which they would be willing to offer, Brian Nash of the Vineyard church will be able to collect it. You can contact him by email: bnsh2@aol.com (I’m afraid I don’t have a phone number so if you can help but don’t use email, please ring Louise on 613466).

The Healthy Church Development Jigsaw
This is a Lent Course that will help us and help the Diocese too! It is a five week course written by the new Diocesan Learning Advisor, Rev Martin Kirkbride, to be rolled out across the diocese this summer. We're doing it before then, because he wants it to have a test run first. So on Tuesday evenings in Lent, from 28th February to 27th March, Martin Kirkbride will be running the course in Holy Trinity Church, Long Itchington starting with coffee etc at 7.30pm and finishing at 9.30pm at the latest. We will sit as small groups so that we can interact with each other, and we can come either as existing small groups, or as PCCs, church groups or individuals. The more people come the better it will be, for our own sakes and also for Martin's as we provide feedback to help him make the course as useful for the diocese as possible.

Lent Appeal - WaterAid Jars of Grace
Your church can save lives this Lent by turning Jars of Change into jars of water. By asking your congregation to give up something and donating what they save, you can help families access safe drinking water.  WaterAid has the free materials you need to bring your whole community together and bring lifesaving solutions to Rwanda. Please download from
www.wateraid.org/lentresources

The Real Easter Egg
Over 80 million Easter Eggs are sold per year and until 2011 not one mentioned Jesus on the box. The Real Easter Egg gives churches the chance to buy an Easter Egg that explains the meaning of Easter on the pack and gives money to charity and development projects. The Real Easter Egg is made by The Meaningful Chocolate Company Ltd in Manchester. The egg has been developed with the help of bishops, schools and parents and it was launched to a warm welcome in September 2010. In 2011, over 50,000 eggs were ordered in the first 12 weeks of the egg being on sale and shops began placing orders when they saw what was happening. The company donated more than £4,000 to Baby Lifeline and more than £21,000 to Traidcraft exchange in 2011.
The Real Easter Egg in 2012 has brighter colours, the three crosses on the front are bigger, the Easter story is a colourful visual story board and, if you open the lid, you will see ‘Happy Easter’, and for the first time ever on an Easter Egg, there is a quote from the resurrection text from Mark.
Inside the box is a copy of the Easter story in booklet form for children to keep and parents to share. Priced at £3.99 each churches can order boxes of 12 from the website
www.realeasteregg.co.uk.  P&P free if ordered prior to 23rd January!


Help needed
At the Campion School, there are a number of afghani refugee children. Three of them have just been moved from foster care into council accommodation in Leamington, as they have turned 18. However, they have very little furniture. If anyone has any basic furniture etc. which they would be willing to offer, Brian Nash of the Vineyard church will be able to collect it. You can contact him by email: bnsh2@aol.com (I’m afraid I don’t have a phone number so if you can help but don’t use email, please ring the Feldon Office):

New CD from Martin Green – in company with Gordon Giltrap
Stuck for a Christmas treat?  You might be interested in this – Martin has been working on a project with Gordon Giltrap to write some Christian lyrics for some of Gordon’s melodies and the result is the CD “Echoes of Heaven”. Tracks can be previewed on the iTunes website:
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/echoes-of-heaven/id487325502
or go via the link on Martin’s own website: www.martingreen.me.uk (much easier to type!) and click on the picture of the Echoes of Heaven CD.
Once on iTunes, you can pay a small amount to download any tracks you particularly like or you can buy the whole album. Proper CDs will be available in the new year, so if you want to wait till then, just let Martin know if you want one and thanks for your support.
Rev Martin Green

Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Coventry     
Bishop Christopher announced at Diocesan Synod on Saturday 6 Nov:
 “I am delighted to announce to Synod that the Archbishop of Canterbury has accepted the Dean’s invitation to preach at the Golden Jubilee service on 25th May to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the consecration of the new Cathedral.  Moreover, the Archbishop will be incorporating that great celebration into a Diocesan visit, and so will be with us over the whole of the Pentecost Weekend from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th May.”

Spread the Word this Christmas!     
Get Bible Society’s FREE envelope stickers for your Christmas cards this year and point friends and family to the REAL Christmas story.
Call 01793 418330, or visit www.christmasunwrapped.org.uk, or text “stickers” followed by name, house number and postcode to 60777.

Leadership Review     
The Archbishop’s Council is urging all dioceses to “re-shape or re-imagine the Church’s ministry for the century coming”. In response to this, Bishop Christopher has commissioned a leadership review within our Diocese and he has appointed a Leadership Review Panel comprising ordained and lay people from a wide range of backgrounds. Their first task is simply to identify the key issues that relate to the leadership of church communities. To this end they have produced a simple questionnaire, and the Review Panel would love to receive as many responses as possible, including responses from individuals but also from groups (you may like to discuss this in your home group, for instance). They are also interested in responses from those who don’t attend a church community.
Copies of the questionnaire are available in church and it has also been emailed to churchwardens, so do ask for a digital version, or you can request one from the Feldon Group office.

“Reconciling People: Coventry Cathedrals’s Story”

The Addington Fund    
The Fund was set up in 2001 as the Churches’ response to Foot and Mouth Disease, when it distributed grants totalling £10.3 million to over 22,000 applicants. The name comes from Canon Richard Addington who inspired the original Addington Fund in East Anglia. The fund is now allied to the Arthur Rank Centre at Stoneleigh.
The main focus of their work is now the Strategic Rural Housing Scheme set up in 2002 providing homes for families needing to exit or retire from the industry with no other option available to them. To date the Scheme has supported 209 families, and currently owns 41 houses nationally.
For most, the days of the final farm sale financing the purchase of a house in the village have long gone. Affordable rented housing can be difficult to find, particularly in rural areas.
Rental income from properties is sufficient to cover the basic administration of the Fund and the costs of the property portfolio. This allows all donations to be invested in further properties, adding to the asset base of the charity. The Trustees Discretionary Fund continues to help viable farming businesses with cash grants of up to £2,000 towards unforeseen expenditure. In recent years the charity set up a fodder bank in the disastrous floods of 2007, and assisted the many businesses affected by the demise of Dairy Farmers of Britain. It has also helped where animal disease restrictions have a negative effect on the business and in times of personal tragedy.

The Quiet Garden Movement    
Did you know that Offa House is part of the Quiet Garden Movement? The first Quiet Garden opened in 1992 realising the vision of Anglican priest Philip Roderick for a network of centres for prayer & hospitality with stillness to enable people to engage with the contemplative dimension of the Gospel. He realised that this could be achieved by simply using the house and garden of a willing volunteer!
The Quiet Garden Trust encourages the provision of a variety of local venues where there is the opportunity to set aside time to rest & pray. They can be in private homes and gardens; open for occasional days of stillness and reflection, in retreat centres or local churches which offer within their premises an area of beauty and peacefulness dedicated to quiet prayer & solitude, schools, hospitals and, of late, even prisons.
Since the first Quiet Garden was opened in September 1992 at Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, there are now 18 countries across the world offering this simple idea of  low cost retreats or step-aside time in people’s homes & gardens. Jesus said “Come with me by yourselves and get some rest” Mark 6: 31.
For more information about the Trust, the Movement and to find garden locations, visit www.quietgarden.org

High Speed Train - Second Preferred Route    
If your church or village is likely to be affected by the current route of HS2 would you please contact Revd Canon Barbara Clutton, Diocesan Rural Affairs Advisor, barbaracluttton@gilberthouse.co.uk we would like to gather relevant information in order to present a united case on church buildings.

Coventry Foodbank    
Bishop Christopher has become a patron of the Coventry Foodbank organised via the Trussell Trust.
What are foodbanks?
•Foodbanks give three days of emergency food to people in crisis
•Foodbanks work with front line care professionals to identify those in need. Vouchers are issued, which can be exchanged for food.
•All food is nutritionally balanced
•Foodbanks signpost clients to organisations able to help combat longer term problems
•There are over 90 Trussell Trust foodbanks in the UK
• Coventry Central foodbank is a partnership between 6 churches: Mosaic, Holy Trinity, Queens Road, Baptist and the Cathedral, Jesus Centre and Vineyard
• Our vision is that “No one in Coventry goes hungry”. That’s a massive task – but God is connecting churches together across the city to make it happen.
People in Coventry can make donations of food items and empty supermarket carrier bags to: Queens Rd Baptist Church – Mondays & Thursdays from 9a.m. to midday. Hope Centre, corner of Vauxhall St and Paynes Lane – Tuesdays & Fridays from 12 midday to 2p.m. To donate money to support their work and mission go to the Just Giving page for the Foodbank. www.justgiving.com/coventryfoodbankappeal where by clicking onto ‘donate now’ you can gift aid credit or debit card amounts via PayPal.

Christianity on the move?  Now there’s an App for that
A new iPhone app for the Church of England has been developed in partnership with the Diocese of Guildford. Available for download from Apple’s App store it enables individual dioceses to put their news into the hands of iPhone and iPad users.
‘myDiocese’ is a first for the Church of England and offers church-related news stories, upcoming events and community information. The new app also links to worship resources including the daily office from the Church of England website. The new app can even provide iPhone users with details of their nearest church, using their phone location, or a postcode.

Martin Green CDs





 

Please help raise money for our Radford Semele church restoration project!
Martin Green has written and recorded two CD’s of varied, guitar based music, and is selling them to raise money for St Nicholas’ Church restoration.

Martin has been playing the guitar since he was a teenager, and is self-taught. He has played in various styles over the years, from student rock, occasional jazz and acoustic duet work, to a local ceilidh band, as well as leading worship in his church each week.

These CD’s represent over 30 years of playing and composing, and have been recorded between 2005-8. Each CD has been professionally produced and mastered, and is packaged in a slim jewel case with printed inserts.

For a .pdf file with much more information, click HERE.


Pilgrim Puppets


For details of current bookings please click HERE



Radford Semele Church Fire
Any donations can be sent through Rev Martin Green, 1 Manor Rd, Bishops Itchington, Warks. CV47 2QJ – please enclose a SAE for an acknowledgement,  and please gift-aid your donation if you can.

To download the latest bulletin (.pdf) please click HERE.
(To download previous bulletins please click on the number:  01   02  03   04   05   06
07   08)