Our Vision

Newsletter of the Bolsover and Staveley Circuit 

June 2001            No 2

Another month has passed, (so quickly) and it is time to update you on what is happening in our circuit.  The Vision 2010 meeting at Staveley is beginning to fade in the memory of some people – but the decisions made there are progressing.  The circuit prayer meetings continue to take place at roughly 10 days intervals in all our churches – indeed these seem to be most of the events in the diary each month.  The community group is trying to make headway with their initial meeting on 20 June, but where are the others?  Please, group leaders, could I have meeting dates and maybe a contribution from you for future newsletters.

LPMAA Holidays
It started with a day trip, then regular visits to LPMA retirement homes organised by Christine and Dennis Kirk.  Eventually these visits extended to weekends – and then long weekends as we travelled to those homes, which could not be reached in a day.
When all the LPMA homes had been visited, Christine and Dennis were persuaded to carry on organising the outings.  The holidays were extended to five days (Monday – Friday) on the occasion we first visited Scotland, and then for the last two years we have enjoyed six days (Monday – Saturday).   These have been wonderful holidays, enjoyed by Christians from our own circuit and from other churches in and around the Chesterfield area.
Some of us have been going since that first day trip and wouldn’t miss the holidays for anything!  Obviously, some of the faces have changed over the years for various reasons, but there is always someone to fill vacant places and they are welcomed most sincerely by the group.
The last night of the holiday we have a fellowship evening, which is enjoyed by all who attend – it is an inspiration to us all.
Many thanks to Christine and Dennis – may you continue bringing enjoyment to all who travel with you for many years to come.

God Bless you both – from your travelling friends.

Duckmanton….
After talking for some considerable time about renewing our kitchen, we decided it was time to put words into action.  So in April we started by removing all the old units.  Imagine the shock we had when we discovered that all the floorboards, joists and wall upright timbers were rotten.  We feel that the Lord has been watching us – or the back of the church would have collapsed around us!
Ken Goodwin and Ivan Brooks set to with a little help from members and friends, and all the affected timber was cut out.  One seventeen foot long and two three foot long steel joists were put in place (Rev Peter Cross was heard to say that he had not had so much fun – or got his hands so dirty for a long time as he helped steer the long RSJ into position).  The old floor joists were shortened by two foot and new timber joists bolted on the ends to sit on the RSJs.  When all this woodwork was in place the plasterboards were fixed and Ken plastered whilst Ivan mixed.
The outside of the back wall was clad with sheets to keep out any further rainwater.
While some of us were away in Eastbourne on the LPMAA holiday, Claris Alvey and her band of helpers decorated the kitchen and vestry areas and now we are pleased to report that we are ready to install the new kitchen units.
The church would like to express grateful thanks to Ken and Ivan for all the time and effort (and to Joan and Ivy – who saw little of them for seven or eight weeks) also to Clarice for organising the decorating and choosing the units and worktops.

Derek Hancock (church council secretary)

Once again it's holiday season and those "Lazy Hazy Crazy days of Summer" will soon be upon us and questions like "Why does the grass grow quickest when you feel least like cutting it?" will trouble our minds.
In the Church Calendar, the summer months are called The Ordinary Season. That means that between Trinity Sunday and Harvest Festival there are no special days to celebrate. There are few church committees to worry about so Church Members up and down the Circuit will be twiddling their thumbs and wondering what to do with their time. I'd like to make a few suggestions.

1. Order the latest "Harry Potter" book. Take it home in a brown paper bag so no one sees you've bought it and read it by torch light under the bedclothes. If anyone finds out tell them you are studying the metaphysical implications of allegorical and philosophical theology, as illustrated by the rules of Quidditch. (if you don't know what I'm talking about ask your grandchildren)
2. Offer to wash your neighbour's car one Sunday Morning so that he (or she) can go to Church.
3. Read the Book of Ruth whilst sunbathing in a cornfield.
4. Attempt an experiment in reverse psychology by painting a notice over the Church Door "Warning! Do Not Enter!"
5. If you are a church property steward, remember to do your annual inspection of the property and impress the minister by having a report ready for the September Church Council.
6. Plan ahead; remember Noah built the Ark before it started to rain.
7. Sit in a different pew at Church and see how many people still recognise you
8. Take your dog for a walk, whether or not you've got one.
9. When leaving Church ask the preacher a question about the sermon.
10. Ring up ten people you don't like and say something nice to them.
     

But seriously folks, time is a priceless commodity and it is so important to make the best use of it. Each moment of our lives is a precious gift from God which comes with the challenge to use it wisely because we only get one chance. Once the moment is gone we can never get it back. We have much more freedom these days to choose how we spend our time, but we have many more alternatives to choose from too.

I hope you will all have a great summer. Enjoy your holidays; enjoy the warm weather (I have faith that we will get some). Let the pace of your life slow down. Give some time to yourself, your loved ones and give some time to God too. Make the most of this summer. Think about what your good at and about how you can make your gifts available for God to use. We will all need to pull our weight when come September, the pace of life in our circuit starts to speed up again. There will be no room for passengers as we address the challenge of declining membership and the loss of a minister. There will be a job for you to do, which won't get done if you don’t do it.

 CIRCUIT DIARY

Circuit Meetings and Events

June 2001

    4   Local Preachers Fellowship            7.30 pm     Inkersall
    8   Circuit Prayer Meeting                     7.30 pm     New Brimington
  18   Circuit Prayer Meeting                     7.30 pm     Clowne
  20   2010 Community Group Meeting     7.30 pm     Inkersall
   Circuit Prayer Meeting                     7.30 pm     Staveley

July 2001

    9   Circuit Prayer Meeting                     7.30 pm     Barlborough
  20   Circuit Prayer Meeting                     7.30 pm     Duckmanton
  30   Circuit Prayer Meeting                     7.30 pm     Brimington Common

5 September            Local Preachers Meeting (Clowne)
7 September            Network Meeting                          
19 September          Network Come Together (Staveley)
6 October                 Circuit Meeting
19 October               Chesterfield Mission Choir (Bolsover)

Other Events with Circuit Interest

June 2001

  16   Table Top Sale (Clowne Building Fund)
  21   Methodist Conference
  24   Ordination Sunday

23 September Circuit Service for Clowne 125 Anniversary
29 September Celebration Choir at Clowne